Commentary: As Osodieme Builds Houses For Indigent Widows

Written By: IFY OBINABO

The art of giving and sharing of goodwill, captured in the saying that we are here on earth to do good for others – may have found good expression in the way the wife of the governor of Anambra State, Chief Dr. Ebelechukwu Obiano, Osodieme, carries on with charitable courses. Since Osodieme, in August 2014, set up the Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ), a non-governmental and nonpartisan organization as a beacon of hope and sustainable empowerment for women and the less privileged, she has kept her promise to be the voice of women beside her husband by providing succor to the needy, indigent widows and rural women across the communities in Anambra state.

It is noteworthy that the art of giving had been second nature to Osodieme, long before her husband became governor. In fact, her undiluted love for charity is a passion she shares with her husband, Sir Willie. The couple is well known for their numerous philanthropic interventions, and they have been honoured for selfless services and commitment to charity wherever they sojourned. It is therefore no surprise that Mrs. Obiano’s NGO, CAFÉ, aligns with the Blessed Mother Theresa’s credo of “Give, but give until it hurts.”

As the fulcrum of Dr Mrs. Obiano’s many acts of charity, CAFE makes strategic interventions in the lives of vulnerable members of the society. So far, Dr Mrs. Obiano has set very high standards with CAFÉ projects in parts of Anambra State. These include building of CAFÉ market toilets, provision of skills acquisition, training and empowerment programs for women and youths and donation of free prosthetic limbs to the vulnerable. Others are donation of wheel chairs to the physically challenged, maintaining home for the mentally challenged at Nteje and sponsoring of cleft lip and cleft palate surgery for kids.

Furthermore, the joy of indigent widows and their families in Anambra has known no bounds since Osodieme started building free houses for indigent widows in the state. Under the CAFÉ Housing for Indigent Widows, thirty 2-Bedroom bungalows have so been built and handed over to lucky beneficiaries.

The houses are located at Agulu, Amichi, Amorka, Alor, Awba Ofemili, Enugwu-otu, Nri, Ogbunike, Umunya, Nibo and Egbeagu-Eziagulu. Others are at Umunankwo, Osomala, Oroma Etiti, Obosi, Nnobi, Ndiagu Ogbunike, Osile Ogbunike and Umuga Eziagulu. The latest bungalows were commissioned by Osodieme last week at Akwa Ihedi and Igboukwu, while other sites are under construction in other communities across the three Senatorial zones of the State.

Fundamentally, the choice of beneficiaries is devoid of political or religious linens. They are the widows who are down in the society; the hoi-poloi among us. Any lily-livered fellow who visited the former places of abode of these widows before Osodieme intervened would surely shed tears. Thankfully, Dr Mrs. Obiano wiped their tears with new bungalows, equipped with modern facilities, including boreholes, water cistern toilets, electricity, fans and other furniture.

Osodieme embarked on CAFÉ Housing for Indigent Widows, borne out of the need to help the helpless by putting a roof over their heads. In the last six years, Osodieme has exhibited the tenets of being one’s sister’s keeper, which has endeared her to the people, hence Ndi Anambra now call her, ogi uno eme ogo.

As an NGO, CAFE does not get financial support from government. It carries out its programmes with donations from both corporate and private organizations. All men of goodwill are therefore most grateful to great sons and daughters of Anambra State whose uncommon philanthropy encourage her efforts.

There is no doubt that Chief Dr Eberechukwu Obiano’s commitment to charity through CAFÉ is unequivocal. It is also not surprising that at every opportunity, she reiterates the clarion call for more hands to be on deck to uplift the fortunes of the less privileged Ndi Anambra, thus re-echoing her firm belief that “wherever and whenever life is touched, government has succeeded”. No wonder why Dr. Mrs. Obiano touches lives where it really matters. Daalu, ogi uno eme ogo!