By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
It was a day of joy when a group of Idoma women known as Virtuous Women lightened the hearts of 21 orphans, under the care of FOCADO Home, in Ado community, near the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Like children who had earnestly yearn to welcome their ‘mother’ when she returns from the market with gifts for them, they (the orphans) jumped and play endlessly when the women arrived the home.
As the Virtuous women entered the compound of the orphanage with various food items, the children held them and called them “mother”“aunty”, perhaps still not mature to know how unfair nature and circumstance had placed them.
This writer observes that they (the orphans) are young, naïve, but looking very bright under a foster; stripped of their originality, for their future and origin to beredefined in a motherless home.
Ironically, they are caged by circumstance createdby the irresponsibility of a selfish generation, with women who procreate without a toga of responsibility. Such mothers abandoned the fruit of their wombs to seek wasteful ventures in a vain society which careless about the plight of the needy.
A finding revealed that each day, some of the children clunk in clumps, hoping that one day their story would change, with their parents coming to claim them.
However, their story is always in circle within the perimeters of the motherless home. As their story varies based on how they got to the orphanage.
Some still have traceable relatives, while others are completely without trace. And the orphanage seems to be the only home known to them.
“Most of them were brought from the Social Welfare. We keep them hereand when they reach the age of adoption, somebody will come and adopt them.
There are some of them that we are working on their case, it takes time but so long as they have traceable relatives, we don’t givethem out for adoption.
“The only ones we give out for adoption arethose who do not have traceable relatives”, Executive Director of the orphanage, Ngozi Anih, said.
She adds “it is a good thing to provide help to those who need it; we provide shelter clothing, good education and counseling, including health support to orphans and vulnerable children as well as educating the public on the issues faced by the needy and abandoned children.”
Interestingly, the Executive Director, said although there are enormous challenges catering for the orphans, but she relies on the grace of God for the daily running ofthe orphanage.
“We do not get incentives from anywhere. It is God that runs thisplace. People come from far and near to give us some support at all times.
“We have never gone hungry, the children are in good schools and all ofthem are doing very well,” she stressed.
But, the story to the ‘virtuous women’ was one which challenged them to always reach out to the needy.
The Idoma women, who were in the orphanage for the first time, were moved by the story of the 21 orphans who have no any other languageapart from English. The mention of it sent chills down the spines ofthe women who were speaking their Idoma dialect.
“It is not easy what these children are going through. We are mothers;we understand completely what it means. It is very unfortunate that these beautiful children found themselves in this situation.
“We consider it a duty to reach out to these children to feel loved; and wesat down as mothers and reason together on how we can touch the livesof these children.
“It is good to do what is rights and share with those who deserve it; the children are meeting us for the first time but they are happy and freely playing with us.
“We actually feel for them and pray that Godwill be sending his people to impact these children”, said the leaderof the Virtuous women, Elizabeth Oche.
She therefore called on private organizations and highly placed individuals to always assist the needy in the society.
“I know we are living in a difficult moment, but in spite of the challenges we face every day, there are people with heart of gold.
“It would be expedient for us to always give our all to the development and improvement of the needy in the society,” she noted.
It is only hoped that the Virtuous Women’s appeal should strike the heart of many and compel them to committing themselves the acts of charity.
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