Foundation supports elderly persons with palliatives, free medics

By Stanley Onyekwere

An Abuja-based Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Pause Old Peoples’ Home, over the weekend, provided free medical check ups, treatment and palliatives to the elderly persons in the nation’s capital city.
It was gathered that majority of the beneficiaries were were drawn from Mabushi community and the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camp in Durumi District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Founder of the Foundation, Hauwa Umar Jubrin, while speaking to a section of the media at the event, explained that the initiative was to show care and love to senior citizens and also take care of their basic health needs.
Jibrin, who is wife of the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), said: “Since the COVID-19 outbreak, we have been imagining how their lives would be because, ordinarily, these are people that are vulnerable and for the fact that their lives are at risk during the pandemic, we have decided to bring them together, to see how they are fairing, and to make sure they are coping.
“We also brought them together so that they can get the fresh air they normally get to cushion the effect of COVID-19 and keep them happy as we usually do.
“We want to make sure that, from time to time, they get something which is usually not within their means.”
Similarly, FCDA’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Umar Gambo Jibrin, it was natural and imperative to always care for the elderly, because they are vulnerable, hence the need to give them hope to live in good health.
According to him: “The natural instinct is that you want to say, yes, I have a role to play (in elders’ lives), because it is something that every responsible citizen or human being should be able to do for the elderly, because this is what really gives them hope that there is blessing in being old. This NGO is certainly on the right track”.
Also speaking, an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Joseph Dzungwe, pledged more support from his ministry, to enable the NGO touch more lives.
“I hope that, what I have seen here, the seriousness of which they are working on the issue of older persons, I hope that we shall partner more”, Dzungwe stated.
In their separate interviews, some of the elderly persons at the event expressed happiness and gratitude to the foundation and the Ministry of Humanitarian for giving them the treat, adding that they felt proud, loved and not left alone in old age.
According to an elderly man who did give his name, “The Pause of Old Peoples’ Home in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development had done a fantastic thing. Nothing is too small, nothing is too big.
“We are very happy and very grateful to them for remembering us the old people today.
“Not many in the society remember we exist, need attention, care and love. We don’t have anything to give them back, but we only pray that God should bless and provide more for them”.
We can inform that The Pause Old Peoples’ Home was established carter for the elderly and destitute in the society.”