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•Chief Eunice Uzor Kalu again ignites joy in Abia charity homes
From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Philanthropy runs in the Uzor Kalu family of Igbere, Bende Local Government Area, Abia State. The family is synonymous with giving to turn around the fortunes of the poor and the underprivileged in society. They feel fulfilled when the down-trodden are happy through their efforts.
So, members of the family compete favourably to outshine one another in this regard. In fact, it is a healthy competition of sorts. If the matriarch of the family, despite her age, is not heartily freely giving out to better the lot of the underprivileged, her children are almost always doling out mouth-watering packages to the poor.
Some call her Odiuko Na Mba, (her traditional title), translating the “One Not Commonly Found in a Community,” while to others, she is the Diamond Mother. From whichever prism one scrutinised it, Chief (Mrs.) Eunice Uzor Kalu has remained pragmatic to a cause she believes in.
Towering above contemporaries and toeing her familiar path, the matriarch, recently, in a magnifying manner, lifted the inmates of nine homes in Abia State, thereby putting smiles on the faces of both the young and old in those homes.
The lucky homes that received her benevolent touch included Methodist Motherless Babies’ Home Colony, Uzuakoli, Leprosy Welfare Centre, Uzuakoli, and So-Said Charity Home, Ubakala.
Others are Agape Charity Home, Ubakala, School of the Blind, Afaraukwu, and Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), among others.
What made the Odiuko Na Mba’s kind gesture more intriguing was that she remembered these underprivileged people from faraway United States of America where she has been for sometime now. For Chief (Mrs.) Uzor Kalu, philanthropy is beyond borders.
The APC Women leader in Abia, Chief (Mrs.) Ezinne Udo Uduma who presented the items, consisting of bags of rice and an undisclosed amount of money to the beneficiaries, on behalf of their benefactor, said the items were Chief Mrs. Uzor Kalu’s own way of showing love to the vulnerable in society.
Mrs. Uduma, who was accompanied to the various homes by Chief (Mrs.) Rose Ogburueke and Mrs. Eunice Chikezie Olejuru, told the recipients that, by remembering them, the Odiuko Na Mba has as usual demonstrated her love for humanity, especially the vulnerable in our society.
At each of the homes, Mrs. Uduma explained to them how Chief (Mrs.) Uzor Kalu loved them and would continue to cater for their welfare despite all known challenges: “Our Diamond Mother is a kind woman who has always shown you love and will continue to love you. She is not in Nigeria presently, but she said that will not stop her from remembering you each time the occasion calls.
“She is at the moment in the United States of America, she directed I should tell you all she loves you and will continue to remember you at will.
“Our loving mother also directed I tell you that her not being in the country presently cannot pose any barrier to her philanthropy towards you at any time.”
Mrs. Uduma told the beneficiaries it was not for nothing that the benefactor decided to remember them with gifts and cash during this time of Iri ji (New Yam festival in Igboland). According to her, it is a season of thanksgiving when the Igbo thank God for bountiful harvest and show love and goodwill to loved ones.
She promised them more goodies ahead and urged the recipients to always pray for the woman that has remembered them in their hour of need.
The beneficiaries in every of the Homes were full of appreciation and prayed the Almighty God for bountiful grace upon the life of the woman that put smiles on their faces.
The managers of the Homes promised to use the gift items including cash donated to them by Chief (Mrs) Uzor Kalu to the benefit of the inmates.
