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By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
A Non Governmental Organisation, Gabriel Olusoji Farounbi Foundation (GOFF), has joined in the fight against poverty in the land by giving alms to the less privileged and widows.
This gesture took place during a thanksgiving celebration of the Former General Overseer Emeritus of Foursquare Gospel Church, Rev Gabriel Olusoji Farombi’s 85th birthday at the University of Lagos Light Chapel, Akoka, Lagos.
About 20 persons benefited from this Foundation. Giving out to the poor, according to the Chairman of the event Tunde Odumosu is the starting point of fulfilling the mission of the Foundation whose primary purpose is to care and provide reasonable support to the less privileged.
GOFF which was founded on the 80th birthday of Gabriel Farombi took its name from the former General Overseer.
Some of the beneficiaries such as Steven Akeredolu has an annual sponsorship and was given N200,000,which will run for 5years to enable him to continue funding his children’s education
Mary Kosin received an annul sponsorship of N150,000 which will run for three years for her two children still in secondary school, and Abayomi Stephen Oduntan, a blind man got an annual sponsorship of N150,000 which will run for three years to assist with his children’s education, among others.
In his remarks, the General Overseer of Foursquare Church of Nigeria Rev. Sam Aboyeji stated that people who do good works are people of principles. ‘If you must impact on people, you must be a principled person. You must be a person of influence so that those who come across you woulf be better than they met you. It takes a person who knows Christ to know how to do good works”.
He further stated that people must live for God and others, noting that the world today has become so selfish that there is nothing like living for others again, but themselves. ‘Everyone is concerned about himself, not about things that are of Christ. love is the foundation GOFF’, it takes love to give.
The GOFF Chairman, Deacon Tunde Odumosu while speaking, noted that GOFF came to reach out to the plight of the less privileged. “Some people as a result of the accident they had in time past, put them where they are today, but society stigmatized them, and abandoned them for a reason that is not their fault, as if they have no sense of belonging to the society. So such people are taken care of by GOFF’.
On how they come about the beneficiaried, Odomosu explained that they sort for them in the street, and follow them up, help them, and have them in their data record and then teach them how to fish.
According to him, some other beneficiaries are picked up through contacts and them follow them up after assisting them.
He dismissed any form of religious differences in reaching out to the beneficiaries, but meeting the needs and helping those in need in the society.
One of the beneficiaries, Mary Kosin expressed gratitude to the Foundation saying, “This gesture is really appreciated, very good”.
According to her she did not have enough money to start her business but with the money she received, she is happy to take her business to a higher level.
