Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma; governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, and other dignitaries emotionally broke down in tears at a 16-year-old orphan’s speech on Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu’s humanitarian impacts in the lives of orphans and less privileged Nigerians in an Orphanage Home in Jos.
Dr. Uzochukwu, through Stanley Uzochukwu Foundation (SUF) had embarked on transforming the dilapidated Jesus Only Friend International Orphanage Home (JOFIN), Rukuba Road, Jos Plateau State, after the NGO founder’s attention was drew to the starvation, educational and medical needs of the orphans and less-privileged children in the Home in September 2024.
Immediately, SUF sent her team to the Home with food, educational, medical and other basic items to the children and the team was on the ground to feed the children for over a week.
At the end of the historical outreach, Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu promised to rebuild the facility to give the orphans and the less-privileged children a sense of belonging and better life, the promises which he fulfilled in less than a year.
Commissioning the multi-million Naira projects on Wednesday by the executive governor of the State in the presence of former President Koroma, the 16-year-old orphan, Mercy Luka, on behalf of others delivered a heartbroken and emotional speech that left all the audience in tears including the former President and the State governor.
Mercy’s speech which she delivered in her wet of tears read in part, “We are gathered here in the city of Jos, the same city that raised our father, mentor, and hero, Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu. And today happens to be his birthday.
”But sir, I must say, you gave us a gift.
”Just a few months ago, this orphanage was in a condition that words can hardly describe with leaking roofs, cracked walls, broken and exposed toilets, and no learning facilities.
”But perhaps the most painful part were those nights we went to bed hungry. On those nights, we would whisper prayers through tears, asking God for help.
”Then, one day, after three days of fasting and prayers in this very home, something changed.
”Mrs. Angela Madaki, the Chief Operations Officer of Stanel Group, came here. She saw the true state of our suffering, but she didn’t stop there. She carried our story to her boss, Dr, Stanley Uzochukwu. From that moment, everything began to change.
”Today, because of you we now have a sustainable feeding program. For the first time in years, we no longer worry about daily food. We eat. We smile. We grow.
”Every one of us in SS 3 had our WAEC and JAMB fees fully paid for by Stanley Uzochukwu Foundation. We are no longer just dreaming, we are planning for university.
”A solar-powered borehole was built, not just to give us clean water but also to teach us entrepreneurship, to sell water to the community and learn the dignity of labour.
”A brand-new computer room was set up. The same computers we once only saw in pictures are now tools we are learning from.
”Toilets have been rebuilt, clean, safe, and dignified. All our rooms were furnished with fans, curtains, new plates, and brand-new beds. And yes, we have food, clothing, and even joy.
”Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, you are not just a philanthropist to us. You are living proof that God remembers the orphans; that even from this city of Jos, souls can rise, and come back to light a path for others.
”So today, in the presence of this great gathering, we pray for you: May your birthday be a memorial of the many lives you’ve touched. May God raise many more men like you for Nigeria and for Africa at large. And may your name never fade from the hearts of those whose lives you have changed.”
In their separate addresses, clouded with emotions, Mutfwang and Koroma commended Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu for his humanitarian gestures and urged other influential Nigerians to emulate the initiative. They admonished the children to maximize the opportunities before them.
Dr. Uzochukwu, who was using the occasion to mark his birthday anniversary, thanked the governor and the former Sierra Leonean leader for giving the orphans the privilege to see a governor and a former president, respectively.
Passionate and intentional about impacting lives, Dr. Uzochukwu announced the donation of his personal residence for the orphanage home and promised to do even more as he directed that sections of the JOFIN be moved to his residence in Rayfield.
Highlights of the event included presentation of laptops to senior secondary school graduands with good results in WAEC and NECO SSCE, presentation of food items worth hundreds of millions of Naira.
