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By Ngozi Nwoke
It was a day of compassion and service to humanity as members of the Committee of Friends for Humanity (COFFHA) carried out humanitarian services to aid the mobility of the disabled at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos.
President of the group, Mrs. Augustina Igbokwe, said the hospital visit and donation of wheelchairs stands as a testament to what the committee stands for.
“The purpose of this gesture is to bring relief to patients who can not afford mobility aids, to restore dignity to those confined to hospital beds, and to show practical love to the vulnerable in our society. We know that for many families, the cost of a wheelchair is the difference between staying helpless and moving toward recovery. Today, we are closing that gap,” she said.
Igbokwe explained that the outreach is also in preparation for the forthcoming investiture ceremony of the group’s 7th president.
“As we prepare to usher in new leadership, we believe service must come first. Charity is not just an event on our calendar – it is the foundation on which our committee is built. Every committee we have formed, every hand we have put together, every division of labour you see today, is aimed at one thing: making a real difference before the investiture gown is worn,” she added.
Igbokwe revealed that while the visitation and donation went on, members met a mother whose son had suffered a terrible accident.
“She stood before us broken, with tears in her eyes, pleading for financial assistance to pay for her son’s surgery. There was no budget line for it. There was no committee resolution for it. But there was a human need staring us in the face,” Igbokwe recounted.
“And because our value is to help the needy, we had to do our best. We all contributed immediately, and right there, we secured the surgery for her son. That was never planned for, but it was never negotiable either. That moment reminds us why we exist. Wheelchairs are important. Investitures are important. But humanity is most important,” she said.
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Igbokwe concluded: “To the hospital management, thank you for your partnership. To the beneficiaries, may these wheelchairs carry you to places of healing and hope. To my COFFHA family, thank you for showing up with your hands, your hearts, and your wallets. As we count down to the investiture, let this act be our message. We do not just talk about helping humanity — we live it.”
For beneficiaries, the gesture was life-changing. Seyi Olajide, who is awaiting skin grafting after an accident, said: “I had an accident, and it made me start using the drug that I got addicted to. I was trying to manage the pain, so I came here for wound incision and skin grafting. I have had the wound incision done, remaining the skin grafting. I am so grateful, and I pray God blesses them and rewards every one of them in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Osala Muazu, 18-year-old, who has osteosarcoma, a bone tumour, was equally grateful: “I am very excited about the wheelchair given to me because it will help me move faster. May God provide for them and bless them for their good deeds.”
Another beneficiary, Ime Isaac, said: “This wheelchair is more than a mobility aid; it is hope, dignity, and freedom restored. Your selfless act proves that you truly live your values of helping the needy. We will never forget your love.”
Christy Ray Okoye, chairman of the investiture ceremony, noted that the outreach aligned with the committee’s values ahead of the investiture of its 7th president.
“We have come a long way in the preparation, and it has not been an easy ride, but I have been able to create so many committees. Division of labour and working together as a committee, I can say confidently we are looking forward to a great investiture,” Okoye noted.
Mrs. Abosede Ogundipe, speaking on behalf of Igbobi Hospital Management, expressed gratitude to the NGO.
“I am very delighted and very happy because we have some patients that are presently in the ward and are in need of wheelchair but they couldn’t afford it. This will be of great help to them. Those of them who have financial challenges, this will go a long way in relieving them of that stress,” she said.
