O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation has reiterated its commitment to total care for older people under its Care for Life Programme with the annual new year party in Rivers State.
The event featured praise and worship, dancing and a cash award of N250,000 each to seven nonagenarians who also received portraits of themselves and certificates, gifts for others and lots to eat and drink.
The joyful senior citizens, attired in beautiful Kalabari clothes, had the time of their lives at the event, affirming the foundation’s commitment to total care for older people.
In her welcome remarks on the occasion attended by partners, including the Federation of Women Lawyers, the African Women Lawyers Association and Old Port Harcourt City Association of Friends, Chairman of the foundation, Seinye Lulu-Briggs, expressed delight at hosting the elders again this year.
She said the new year party is special because it reminds her of how the Foundation started 22 years ago, focusing on senior citizens.
She said: “Back then, elders in our community were practically invisible, especially those who could no longer fend for themselves and did not have children or relatives who could do so. Elder abuse was frequently reported in the news. The O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation began its operations by identifying and caring for such elders through our ‘Care for Life Programme’ 22 years ago.”
Lulu-Briggs added that since then, the Care for Life Programme has “provided over 600 elders from 12 local government areas of Rivers State with healthcare, caregivers, monthly food supplies/or a daily feeding programme that includes lunch and dinner, monthly hygiene and essential household supplies, monthly cash stipends, housing, clothing, and spiritual care. It has also organised social events like today’s new year party. We care for 87 elders in Abua, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Degema, Etche, and Port Harcourt local government areas.”
The foundation’s chairman further noted that apart from taking care of the senior citizen’s spiritual and material needs, the new year party demonstrated its value in “fostering a sense of fellowship and belonging among the aged members of our communities by honouring and celebrating them as often as we can.”
Lulu-Briggs, who thanked God for the lives of the elders and for sustaining the foundation’s impactful works, assured partners of its commitment to improving the lots of the underserved.
She announced that the foundation has instituted a congratulatory award of N250,000 which would be given annually to elders under its care who become nonagenarians (attain the age of 90).
The seven recipients of the N250,000 cash congratulatory award include Rhoda Briggs (104) who got a special round of applause as the only centenarian, Benjamin Yousouf (99), Basoene Walter (98) and Ibingibo Douglas (98).
Others are Settle Georgewill (96), Alioma Romeo (95) and Emmanuel Joe Briggs (92).