Christmas: Soludo’s wife begins distribution of food items, cash to Anambra orphanages
By Obinna Odogwu
Wife of the Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has commenced the distribution of various food items to different orphanages in the state ahead of this year’s Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Mrs Soludo would be visiting about 39 orphanages in the state and has so far reached out to eight of them with various food items and undisclosed amount of money with which the beneficiaries would take care of other expenses.
The food items donated to them were bags of rice, beans, tubers of yam, cartons of milk, chocolates, toiletries and others.
The orphanages she visited on the first day were Saint Martin’s Community Children/Welfare Home, Etiti in Igboukwu community, Blessed-Nise Community Children’s Home, Nise; Model Community Children’s Home, Ifite-Awka; God’s Care School for Special Needs, Umuayom, Awka and Faith Community Children’s Home, Awka.
The First Lady later visited Onitsha South Motherless Babies’ Home which has 30 children, Missionaries of Charity Gift of Mercy Community Children’s Home, Fegge, Onitsha which has 18 children and Onitsha North Community Children’s Home which has 13 children.
Speaking shortly after the exercise, Mrs Soludo said that she decided to embark on the visit to have firsthand information on the situation of things in the orphanages, to be able to know the best way to assist them; and to use that opportunity to give them Christmas gifts.
“For me, this is Christmas and Christmas is all about showing love, friendship and compassion. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to show them love, care and encourage everyone”, she said.
The Anambra First Lady commended the managers of the orphanages she visited, saying that she was impressed with what she saw there, especially their level of cleanliness.
“To be honest with you, I am impressed. Like where we are now (Onitsha North Community Children’s Home), everywhere is clean. It’s like a home environment. The children are happy.
“That’s the most important thing. Seeing these children happy in this kind of environment puts smile on my face. And I think I saw it in all the places we went to, today. I am happy with what I saw today”, she said.
The Director, Education and Social Development, Onitsha North Local Government, Lady Rita Anaekwe, who’s in charge of the orphanage, commended the First Lady for her support to the orphanage. “I don’t know how to express my feelings. Since my 32 years in social work, I have not seen this kind of thing. This shows that our big mummy is a mother; a mother that other First Ladies should emulate her good works. We’re very, very happy”, Anaekwe stated.
