10 year-old Mary is one of the 22 children under the care of Citadel of Grace Orphanage, Igando in Lagos state. She has no clue of when she was brought to the home or what her real surname is, yet she showed no signs of an unhappy person.
Mary and other 21 children were quite elated, except for the fact that they are confined to the home. Despite that, one can hardly read any aura of sadness or neglect of children who find themselves in such circumstances, who are often times abandoned in dustbins, toilets, roadsides or even at the door steps of such orphanages.
From the look, life seemed beautiful for these children, courtesy of the care and love shown to them by the caretakers of the orphanage led by its coordinator, Mrs. Christie Izile. For Izile, nothing has given her more joy in the last two years, than putting smiles on the faces of these ones who were abandoned and rejected by their parents.
She said that task of caring for the 22 children has been a challenge. The hassles include providing food, clothing and education for them, and this according to her has been only possible “when God through good Samaritans and well spirited persons come to the aid of the home in form of cash or material donations.”
Recently, Izile, her co-workers and the 22 children could not hide their joy when help came calling. This time, it was the Bestspring Children and Youth Development Foundation, a non-governmental organisation poised to reach out and touch the lives of the vulnerable and less-privileged children in the society.
Before now, one of the greatest challenges of the home according to Izile was the kitchen. She recalled, “The kitchen was nothing to write home about, it was looking really bad, we had just two stoves and two small pots. It was bad to the extent that we had to cook the same food like three or four times for the children because we didn’t have big pots. The roofs were leaking, and each time it rained, we couldn’t even dare to go there and cook but I believed God for the best. I was asking for a transformation of the kitchen to standard one for the children. I just told God that those that have the heart to transform the kitchen would come to our aid”.
The foundation under its “Hope Alive Project 2010” aimed to give a facelift to two of the many orphanages in Lagos State, chose Citadel of grace Orphanage as one of the two.
When Daily Independent recently joined the team of the Foundation to commission the projects, Izile was speechless. She not only got her heart desire for a standard kitchen well equipped with fridge/freezer, gas cooker and microwave oven, the home also got a big water tank to store water .
“What happened today gives me great joy in my heart; my heart is full of happiness for what they have done for the children. The kitchen is now wonderful and is looking very beautiful. Those things we didn’t have before, we now have, the children are so happy just like I am”, an elated Izile mustered.
Bestspring Foundation also saw the need to reach out to Arrow of God Orphanage, Obadore, Igando.
The home accommodating about 20 children including boys and girls could not boost of a befitting hostel for the boys. Before Bestspring Foundation’s intervention, the boys under the care of the home were resigned to fate and left with no choice than to accommodate the legion of blood sucking mosquitoes that besieged the home at bed time on a daily basis.
But recently their sleepless nights caused by mosquitoes seemed to be over. Now, the home boost of four-double decked beds, eight mattresses, with the boys’ hostel refurbished.
Coordinator in charge of the home, Pastor Daniel Godspeaks, who received the officials of the foundation said the 13 year-old home had received has been receiving donations and aids from well meaning Nigerians and organisations alike, but that the intervention by Bestspring Foundation could not be overemphasized.
“I am speechless; I don’t really know what to say because it still seems like a dream. We have been having such gestures, but this is one of the memorable gestures that God has used people to assist us and we are very grateful to Him. May God bless the foundation for this heart of kindness it has extended to us, it would never go unrewarded”.
Responding on behalf of Bestspring Foundation, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Mr. Bola Olayinka said the gesture was part of the foundation’s zeal to reintegrate occupants of orphanages back to the society and give them a sense of belonging and hope for the future.
“What we did was to put ourselves in the shoes of those who are in the various orphanages and physically challenged children, we ask ourselves, suppose I was the one. We believe that the society needs to begin to reorder our priorities because first of all these same people we have in the orphanages, are integral members of our society. So, we need to begin to reintegrate them into the society so that we can give them a hope for the future and let them have their confidence back to remember that it is not an accident because God has a purpose for everyone. We have had stories of so many people with very humble beginnings who have made huge impacts in the world,” he stated.
by
Ekene Okoro, report, lagos.
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