As the world celebrates World Orphans’ Day, Senate leader, Bamide Opeyemi, and his counterpart who is the Appropriation Committee chairman, Solomon Adeola have donated the sum of N24 million to 13 orphanage homes in Abuja and Nasarawa state for their upkeep.
Making the donation at an event organised to mark the day by Mrs Temitope Adeola, the wife of Senator Adeola through her non-government organisation, CHADASH, dedicated to widows and orphans, the two senators gave N12 million each to the orphanages with Senator Bamidele making an additional donation of N5million for CHADASH and other senators making various pledges to the charitable NGO.
A statement issued by the media adviser to Senator Adeola, Chief Kayode Odunaro, said the benefiting orphanages include Gifted and Talented Orphanage, Facado Orphanage, Cherry Field Orphanage, Christ Bethel Orphanage, Dynasty Orphanage, and JKS Orphanage.
Others are Shining Star Orphanage, Queen Esther Orphanage, Maratha Care Children Home, Osaze Orphanage, Desired Orphanage, Purity Rose Orphanage and Gifted and Talented Home, Nasarawa.
Senator Adeola who described himself as an orphan having lost both parents stated that there are many challenges and difficulties confronting orphans as they live in the society adding that like himself, they usually don’t have biological parents to stand up for them when it matters.
“I want to encourage all of us to be our brothers’ keeper in assisting orphans to properly fit into the society, I recall that even in political field I suffered discrimination as an orphan as some disputed my state of origin for political vindictiveness and may parents were not there to assert my indigene-ship of Ogun State. I am sure that the children before us are all Nigerians with various needs and nothing must stop us from making them useful and productive members of the society,” he stated.
While disputing official estimates of orphans in Nigeria put at 17 million, the chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations said their number would be in the region of 50 million nationwide, promising to always participate in any effort, at government and private levels to address the challenges of orphans.
As the guest of honour of the event which was started with a keep fit and awareness kilometer walk around Maitama, Abuja, Senator Bamidele stated that with the numbers of orphans in Nigeria outnumbering the population of many countries in our continent and elsewhere, there is need for proper government policies to address the needs of the orphans in addition to any private efforts by humanitarian and charitable individuals and organisations.
He commended Senator Adeola and his wife for always giving back to the society in various ways stressing that Senator Adeola is known to be a giver even among his colleagues over the years as he is the “go to” man when you are in need.
In her welcome address at the event tagged: “Caring for the Uncared”, Mrs Adeola, who was the first to ever celebrate the World Orphans Day in Nigeria with her NGO stated that her organisation is focused on widows and orphans in the society stressing that beyond giving funds and materials for orphans, important as that is, there is the urgent need for individual to donate/volunteer services and skills for orphans to improve their chances of competing in the society.
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