A Non-Governmental Organisation, (NGO) Divine Charity Rehabilitation and Vocational Center has celebrated the disabled and the needy in Anambra State to Mark the 2022 Christmas festive season by donating and distributing food items, clothes and money to them.
The founder and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Organisation, Missionary Mother, Jemima Okpala (aka; Mama Charity), said the NGO Divine Charity Rehabilitation and Vocational Center was birthed as a result of a burning desire to alleviate the sufferings of physically challenged persons and indigent people within the state.
The CEO Mrs. Okpala stated this during the end-of-year programme tagged: ‘Needy Day – Helping the Needy’.
“This NGO has been in existence since 2011 when I was in Lagos till I came back from Lagos to Awka, Anambra State in 2012. It is a registered NGO with CAC in Abuja, with the State Ministry of Women Affairs and we are up to date in our yearly renewal fees,” she stated.
According to her, the vision of the NGO is to produce abilities with disabilities; all with the primary objective of giving them a means of livelihood through these skill acquisition sections: Tailoring, shoemaking, catering and computer training.
“We don’t give them fish but we teach them how to fish by empowering them through vocational and skill acquisition and to the glory of God we have been able to rehabilitate and empower some to be self-reliant.
Some other vocations like mechanical works, carpentry, Electrical works….. We also train them through sourcing, that is, sending them to where we have adequate manpower,” she noted.
The Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Child Development, Hon. Ify. Obinabo speaking through a representative Mrs. Angel Okoye, commended the NGO for a great job so far and noted that for the past year, the NGO has been living up to her mandate.
“I call on every good spirited people out there to take a cue from Mrs Jemima Okpala and in their own accord reach out to the needy and put a smile on their faces.
You mustn’t float an NGO to achieve that, if the money to float one is not available, please look for any one and attach yourself and with your support, good work is being done. This is God’s work and it’s for everyone so, let’s try to make the world a better place by helping the needy around us,” she implored.
Mr. Okey Nwaneri, One of the key sponsors of the NGO who flew in from Brazil to see firsthand what Mama Charity is doing expressed satisfaction that the NGO is in line with the directives of our Lord Jesus. He called out to other good-spirited people to reach out to these categories of persons with their substance.
“I am so elated to be here today to see this happening. I made sure I came down from my base – Brazil primarily for this event and I must say, I’m happy with what is happening here.
“It’s so touching to see these physically challenged persons having so much fun with little and I use this medium to enjoin my fellow good-spirited persons to key into this kind of charity work to give these wonderful creatures at least a sense of belonging and let them know that somebody somewhere cares for them, he admonished.”
The Head Pastor of Remnant mission International Enugwu-Agidi and the spiritual father of the day, Rev. Nnoso Onyeagba, stated that Charity is part of ministry as demonstrated by Divine Charity Rehabilitation and Vocational Center.
“I am here to lend full support to the head of Divine Charity Rehabilitation and Vocational Center who worships with me. I try as much as I can to encourage and promote her ministry because her ministry is part of the church.
“This ministry is mainly for the needy and not for the well-to-do. My candid advice to people out there is, they should try and encourage such work because it’s not easy at all. Ministry is not only about deliverance but charity to the needy is a service on its own. We should be able to help the vulnerable. Poverty is an evil spirit on its own which if not taken care of, leads to so many vices.
He further encouraged people to see helping the needy as a privilege and called on the government and well-meaning Nigerians to make it a point of duty to provide succour for them
“For the fact you are able to have your children in your hands and train them as opposed to these ones who don’t have their own to care and cater for them except for government and some people at times, it’s a privilege.
“May God continue to bless Divine Charity for the good works they are doing and I pray that God will make provisions for the NGO for greater exploits in Jesus name,” he prayed.
The highlights of the event were having two blind ladies lead in praise and worship sections, a deformed man playing the keyboard, a blind man giving words of admonition, the blind playing the flute and the mother general(aka Mama Charity) gifting a keyboard to one of her blind adopted sons.
The guests and passers-by were amazed to see these physically challenged persons display ability in disability and the event came to a climax when one of the benefactors who flew in from Brazil, Mr Okey Nwaneri donated a shuttle bus to the NGO to help propagate their vision.
The CEO of Divine Charity Rehabilitation and Vocational Center called on well-meaning people to reach out to them to support their vision.
Olusola Akintonde
