From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Women group, Oganiru UmuadaAnambra State (OUAS) Lagos Branch, a philanthropic group conceptualized to helpmembers and the poor in the society, has distributed various food items to poorwomen in Lagos State to cushion the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The humanitarian Project ofFeeding 100 Mothers took place at Uke Community Centre, Divine Estate,Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos on Sunday.
Ezinne Ifeyinwa Amuzie, aninternational business woman, Enugu-Ukwu Anambra State by birth, married in Avutu-ObowoImo State and one of the founding members of the group stated that OUAS is agroup of women that wants to gather first for progress and happiness of theirmembers, “We gather to help our members, and other people who are in need justlike what we did today. Basically the group was formed to help members both injoy and in sorrow,” Amuzie said.
She also stated that admissioninto the group is not an all comers affair. “Intending members pass throughvery stringent scrutiny, we admit women of honesty and integrity; they are thosethat form our membership. We don’t want people that would come in and scatterour goals and objectives; we take women of substance and God fearing, womenthat have the heart of giving, women of philanthropy. And if we notice anythingto the contrary, we remove the person from the group.”
Amuzie disclosed that thegroup was barely two weeks old adding that OUAS has about 60 members currently.“The organization is barely two weeks and this is our first outing in terms ofgiving to the less privileged.”
She said their spheres ofoperation go beyond Lagos, “We are Umuada Anambra State, we will also reach outto Anambra to be able to help those in need, to help our state. It is not onlyfor Lagos, we can still carry it down to Anambra. We want to reach out to thepoor, especially those that are helpless.”
Speaking on those who receivedpalliatives Amuzie said “Those given palliatives today include mostly widows,not widows like me, no, I am Jesus’ wife, I am talking about widows that don’t have,and even the poor ones who have husbands but they are finding it difficult toeat, those are the people we helpedtoday.”
Items shared to the womeninclude rice, noodles, pastas and many others.
Another Founding member ofOUAS, and currently, the Secretary of the group, Mrs Uchenna Ifeoma Umeche, AdaAwka is married in Amichi – Nnewi, a Chartered Accountant and a licensed Auditorby Profession, speaking on the main objective of the group said “OUAS isdesigned to impact on the lives of the less privilege, especially the widows, poorwomen whose husbands have either abandoned them or those whose husbands do nothave gainful employment. It is also meant to assist and augment what AnambraState is doing in that direction.”
She disclosed that the grouphas intention of partnering with groups and organizations to make more impacton society. ”We partner with individualsfor sponsorship, of course, we just started, we intent to partner withorganizations as time goes on. Things may be slow now because of Covid-19ravaging the entire world, but the vision of this group is to eventuallypartner with corporate organizations to be able to reach out for more peoplebecause with individual sponsorships, our capabilities will be limited,” Umechesaid.
Umeche said she would like thegroup to become a household name, “In the next five years we are looking atRotary Club of Nigeria that has become a brand, a household name in thecountry, so we look forward to becoming a brand, through our philanthropic andhumanitarian activities.”
She advised members to be trueto themselves, she called for spirit of God and oneness so as to sustain thecurrent tempo in the group. She pleaded that there should be transparency especially as they expect aids and grantsfrom different quarters so that such funds should be ploughed into what theyare meant for.
The team leader is Mrs NkoliNwosu and secretary is Mrs Uchenna Umeche.
One of those that received thepalliatives Mrs Ebere Okigbo, a widow; her husband died three years ago, withlittle or nothing in her petty trading, it is difficult raising three children.She thanked the group for the kind gesture saying “I am very grateful that thisgroup remembered us. Somebody just called me by 10 am this morning and saidsomething like this is happening, God will bless them mightily.”
