•Splash millions of naira, food items on underprivileged in Lagos, Delta
By Vivian Onyebukwa
In furtherance of their commitment to continually support the underprivileged, the Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu, and his family, last weekend, made donations of several millions of naira and food items to some orphanages in Lagos.
The donations was flagged off by his wife, Dr. Awele Elumelu, chairperson, Avon Healthcare Limited, at the Hearts of Gold Hospice, in Yaba, Lagos.
The hospice received 20 bags of rice, 20 bags of beans, 10 bags of sugar, 10 cartons of milk, 10 cartons of beverage, 33 cartons of noodles and N10 million.
The money was to address some of the needs the homes had earlier listed, including payment of rent and money for surgery and medical needs of the children.
Among the other hospices to receive the same donations were Open Arms of Mercy Orphanage Home at Femi Killa, Okota and Atunda Olu Home, Surulere, Lagos.
Presenting the items, Dr Awele Elumelu said that the gesture was nothing new. She said: “We have children everywhere who need our help, so it is just one more place where we can help. It is an amazing thing what this lady is doing here at this Hearts of Gold Hospice.
“We just have to do what we can to support. It has to be an ongoing thing, not just today. Everyone has to try their own little way to help to support.
“People here have dedicated their lives to helping and supporting these children. So, the least we can do is to either help by cash or by kind.”
Alero Ladipo, Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, UBA, explained that what they did first was to do a survey of what the hospices need before deciding to bring whatever they brought.
“A lot of them asked for beverage, milk, noodles, rice, beans, sugar and some medical supplies as well. We brought them and also made a financial donation towards the medical requirement or anything that they may need.
“Some needed money to pay for their rents, diapers for the children, etc. We also made a financial donation of N10m each to 10 orphanages that we are focused on. This is the first three that we are going to,” Ladipo said.
In response, the founder of Hearts of Gold Hospice, Laja Adedoyin, expressed gratitude to Tony Elumelu and family, stating how humbled they were in welcoming the wife of the chairman of UBA Group.
Adedoyin said: “What they have done today is so unbelievable. In the history of Hearts of Gold Children Hospice, it has never happened, the magnitude of the food stuff they brought for my children. Food is life. At this present moment if you have food today in Nigeria, you have everything”.
She thanked Dr Awele Elumelu for coming to them, sowing and giving them so much. “We are overly joyous,” she added.
The representative of the children of Hearts of Gold Children Hospice, Adedodoyin Moyosore Oluwa, expressed the joy of the children for the visit. “We looked forward to see her when the children were told she was coming. When we saw her, everybody was so happy and exited. They will be very happy when they see what she brought. Thanks to UBA,”Oluwa said.
The donations to Lagos orphanages are part of a larger pan-Nigerian initiative, with seven more homes set to benefit from similar support in the coming weeks.
This follows the family’s recent donation of 1,800 bags of rice to their community in Onicha Uku, Delta State, during the festive season, with seven more homes set to benefit from similar support of N10 million, 20 bags of rice, 20 bags of beans, 10 bags of sugar, 33 cartons of Indomie, 10 cartons of milk and 10 cartons of beverages each.
The Elumelus’ commitment to philanthropy continues to make impact, reflecting their dedication to fostering sustainability, community support, and care for society’s most vulnerable.