Cross section of the beneficiaries of Uzotex Charity Foundation being addressed by Rev. Fr. Chibuzo Dike, the State Co-ordinator of the Foundation. Pix by Everest Ezihe, Umuchima Orlu.
From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Despite socioeconomic hardship ravaging Nigerians, Uzotex Charity Foundation has philanthropically put smiles of fresh Christmas breath in the faces of some less privileged members of Umuchima ancient community in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State by lavishly given them food items and cash as a strategic means of putting them in a happy mood and for them to participate actively in the celebrations of the forthcoming Christmas and new year festivities.
The emotionally ridden well attended empowerment programme that gulped more than ten million Naira, which benefited over eleven villages that constituted the ancient autonomous community, including over 20 special teenagers known as Uzotex children happened last Saturday at the premises of the Catholic Great Church of Immaculate Conception,(C.I.C) Umuchima.
The event started with holy mass at the church chapel with Rev. Fr. Donatus Dozie, the parish priest officiating together with Rev. Fr. Chibuzo Dike and Rev. Fr. Mathew Eze (Man Man) as the State and International Coordinators of the Foundation respectively.
The church service witnessed lots of commendations and applauses for Mr. Festus Uzoma Mbisiogu, the founder, financier and President of the foundation just as the church prayed for God’s increased grace, blessings and mercies upon him, his family and businesses.
Dozie in his sermon described Mbisiogu as a man of empathy, humility, simplicity and philanthropy personified.
He also expressed gratitude to the financier and described the Christmas largesse as fantastic and the Foundation’s President as a man with large heart doing things in the spirit of Christmas, appealing that the favoured members of the society should extend God’s magnanimity to the less privileged members of the society, while asking for God’s infinite favour and mercy upon the Foundation and the financier.
Adding his voice, Rev. Fr. Chibuzo Dike, the State Coordinator informed that Mbisiogu through the Foundation, has been persistent for the past 15 years, in ensuring that he provides food on the table of poorest of the poor and vulnerable persons in the community and its environ.
The reverred man of God observed that the financier, despite his overwhelming philantropic gestures both to his community, its environ, the State and Nigeria at large for over a decade now, that there’s no political undertone nor does he has interest in contesting for any political position, that his greatest joy is simply giving back to the society and humanity at large, in appreciation of God infinite mercy of lifting him up, from nobody to somebody.
He noted that Mbisiogu has redefined philanthropy and charity as he has through the Foundation built and equipped an ultra modern health center for Umuchima community, dug over 27 boreholes across various parts of the community as one of the greatest problem of the community in the recent past is lack of good source of water, giving both Primary, Secondary and tertiary institution scholarships to so many youths of the community as well as giving meaningful employment opportunities to uncountable members of the community.
Dike also informed that recently, the Foundation donated 300 KVA Transformer that rescued the community from months of black out and lightened up the community, built houses for indigent persons, rebuilt and renovated the community primary school blocks, distributed free note and recommended text books to so many pupils and students of the area, sponsored the building of magnificent infrastructures in the community churches
The Priest insisted that Mbisiogu has become a reference point in developments in Umuchima community and its environ, he single handedly through the Foundation,
pays bursary and tuitions to most of the undergraduate students of Umuchima community and beyond.
According to him, “Festus Uzoma Mbisiogu is better known as the Dangote of Umuchima ancient community. A man God uses in weeping out tears of poverty, depression and rejection of less privileged members of the society as the Foundation started since 2009. Mbisiogu is most infectiously committed in alleviating hunger and suffering of his people of Umuduruugara, just as he built the church magnificent but multi million Naira tower, and equally ceiled and tiled the entire church building”.
He also passionately prayed for God Almighty to continue to abundantly blessed the chairman of the Foundation, Mr. Festus Uzoma Mbisiogu, his family and businesses describing him as a man with the meek of human kindness, peace and unity of purpose without expecting a reward from any body, except from God.
For Mr. Obioma Okwara, who’s the Programme Supervisor of the Foundation, collaborated that the programme has been persistent for the past 15 years with each year receiving a tremendous improvement and boost.
Okwara further prayed for the continual upliftment of the financier and those of them coordinating for the success of the programmes.
For some of the beneficiaries interviewed like Mrs. Anna Okwara, Mr. Ignatius Ebosinwa, the chairman of Uzotex Charity Foundation Fans Club described the Christmas largesse as a marvelous thing and prayed for God’s protections and grace upon the Foundation’s founder and financier.
Ebosinwa noted that the financier of the Foundation always do empowerment, charity and philanthropic programmes that touches the welfare of the needy’s of the community every Easter, August and December for the past 15 years.
For some of the beneficiaries interviewed like Mrs. Anna Okwara, Mrs. Chika Duru, a widow, Master Ikechebere Chibuike, Miss Chimezie Victory, Oluebube Okemadu and
Osinachi Okala,
Others include, Osuoha Eze, Ezekiel Okoroama, Victoria Oti, Obioha Ogechi,Christiana Ekenedo,Gladys Chimezie, Josephine Duru, Perpetua Nkeobuna, Beatrice Mgboho among litany of them, and they expressed gratitude to the Foundation and its founder, asking God for their abundant blessings.
The benefitted villages are Uhualla, Umuefe, Duruonara, Okwaraoke, Durunwaneri, Okwaraku, Onyiriaha, Umuikpa, Duruesika, Duruochokwu, Okwaraocha,Iheanaekwe and so many branches of the autonomous community meeting in some of Nigerian cities.
