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- Says Children should be celebrated every day
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
It was a day of unending joy for the children of Model Community Children’s Home, Awka, Anambra State, as the Wife of the Anambra State Governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, marked this year’s Children’s Day with them.
The Governor’s wife demonstrated unusual humility and great motherly care as she not only took time to personally cook for the children, but she also shared the food with them and joined them in eating.
Some of the children in the home felt so much at home with the Governor’s wife and her gesture that they circled around her and wouldn’t let go, even as she personally fed some of them.
They ate, drank, cut the celebration cake, and danced heartily with the Anambra First Lady, so much so that some of them wished the celebration would continue without end. The Governor’s wife also showered them with various gift items, including writing and reading materials, assorted fruits, bags of rice, and cartons of noodles, among others.
Speaking during the celebration, the Governor’s wife charged parents to make it a daily routine to celebrate their children, taking into cognizance that they deserve every form of celebration.
According to her, celebrating children should not be a yearly affair but a daily activity, as it will go a long way in giving them a sense of belonging and reducing their attraction to vices capable of destroying their lives and truncating their future.
She recalled with nostalgia the motherly love and care she received from her mother while growing up, attributing her well-cultured character to such a motherly disposition.
“I am here to celebrate Children’s Day with the children, cook for them, and feed them. They need as much motherly love and warmth as they can get.
“I visit them regularly and call on their caregivers to find out how they’re doing when I am away. You can see how familiar they are with me, with many desiring to sit on my lap.
“We celebrate children every day. For me as a mother, I celebrate my children every day. I was here four days ago. But today, we’re reminded and encouraged to leave everything and celebrate the children because they deserve to be celebrated.
“While growing up, my mum played a wonderful role in my life. Because of the way she celebrated me, there were things I wouldn’t do as a student in a boarding house because I knew she’d be disappointed to hear of any form of misbehaviour from me.
“That’s why parents must be positive with their children. They can’t deviate, even under peer pressure influence. They need more assurance and blessings than curses because whatever you tell them will always come to pass,” she said.
The Governor’s wife advised children to be focused and listen to their parents for proper guidance and direction in life.
“For the children, times are very hard, especially with the era of social media influence. I urge them to remain focused and listen to their parents because they’re the people who will guide them and tell them the truth.
“Whatever you see out there in the social media can be deceptive and misleading. But that of the parents will lead you to the right path and the sky will be your limit,” she added.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the home, Rev. Sister Philomena Akuchukwu, appreciated the Governor’s wife for the visit, describing her motherly care and attention to the children as top-notch.
“Since you came into office, you have not set eyes off our home. You visit us practically every month with food and drinks. You made our home your second home and know each and every one of us very well.
“You cook for us by yourself, feed us, and again pay our school fees. Every child that comes here goes home a different person. May God bless, protect, reward, and keep you safe for us. Some of us are wondering if you are really the First Lady of Anambra State because you allow us to sit on the same chair with you. We are grateful to God for giving you to us.
“Send our gratitude to our Papa, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, for all the good works he is doing in Anambra State to better our future, especially for supporting you in taking care of us,” she added.
