Author: admin50

By Ayo Oyoze Baje

Quote:

“ Every child on the street has the potential to be a doctor, lawyer, or innovator. If you support that child, you could be saving the world from future vices.”

-Pastor Solomon Folorunsho ( Coordinator, Home for the Needy )

In a most inspiring testament to the power of providing hope, healthcare, shelter, feeding and education to the vulnerable citizens who survived the horrendous havoc unleashed by all manner of insurgents, especially in the North-East geo-political zone the true-life tales of some of them are soul-lifting. In fact, they paint a perfect picture of how the humanity in us can make the desired difference in other people’s lives; more so the needy members of the society. Interestingly, some of the beneficiaries have since graduated from different institutions of higher learning as medical doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers and accountants.

According to the International Organisation for Migration ( IOM )more than two million people remain internally displaced across the embattled states including Borno, Yobe and Adamawa after the unrelenting attacks by the insurgents right from 2010 to 2015. In fact,

a 2023 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics,NBS identified 340 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across seven northern states. Over 1,400 schools were destroyed, while agricultural activities were disrupted, leading of course, to food insecurity. All these left in their wake, a haunting spectacle of harrowing hunger, homelessness and hopelessness. Those who could muster the courage fled the thorny areas of insurgency. But where could they find safety and succour? That is the million-naira question.

Good enough, and as fate would have it,the life-changing Home for the Needy (HfN) IDP Camp in Uhoguo, some 25 kilometres outside Benin City acting as the bright and brilliant beacon of hope in the long, dark tunnel of fear became their refuge. More like a caring mother, with the warm, welcome embrace to the traumatized children, it shelters over 3,000 IDPs.

Under the passionate, pragmatic and patriotic leadership of an iconic care-giver, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, the camp, once known as the Crisis and the Response NGO founded back in 1992 has transformed beyond caring for orphans and vulnerable children.to adding immense value to the internally displaced citizens. It provides essential needs such as shelter, healthcare, food, in addition to free education right from the primary school level up to the tertiary levels. There are indeed, lessons to learn from the man who confessed that: “I was moved by the overwhelming spate of child neglect and insurgency,”

One of such lessons is the strict adherence to high moral values in both the acceptance and the training of the displaced people. As

Folorunsho stated, the foundation takes great care not to admit criminals or individuals of questionable character into the camp. It carries out background checks using information from relatives, traditional leaders and security agencies in the home states of the displaced persons. Also, though many of the IDPs are of school age, the foundation conducts examinations and interviews to determine the appropriate class placement for each individual.

To make the much-needed positive impact on their troubled lives those who are either above school age or educationally disadvantaged are guided to choose a vocational training programme in sync with their talents and interests. That is a strong, fundamental structure to build the future of the rehabilitated persons’ on. And so far, the noble efforts of the HfN have started to yield fruits.

For instance, the camp has produced no fewer than 85 graduates across the professional spectrum of medicine, pharmacy, law, accountancy and other disciplines.An outstanding example is that of Amos Ishaku, a former resident of the home, who graduated from Edo State University, Uzairue, where he earned a First Class degree in Chemical Engineering in November 2023. There, he achieved a remarkable Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.80, making him the best graduating student in the Faculty of Engineering and earned him the.Mike Ozekhome Award and also honoured with a ₦2.5 million Entrepreneurship Award. One cannot but commend this rare academic feat.

He has indeed, become a distinguished ambassador of not only the HfN but the country at large. Yet, he is not alone amongst those with thrilling testimonies of rising from grass to grace.

For example, Ayuba Philemon who once slept in the streets of Gwoza after escaping insurgents, is now a 500-level Law student at Western Delta University.

A resident of HfN and graduate of Accountancy from the University of Benin, and does part-time teaching at the Christlike Secondary schools. He stated in a wave of emotion that:“I thought I would never see a classroom again,” he said.“But at the camp, I found safety, education, and purpose. From Christlike Primary School through to university, everything was made possible by the Home for the Needy.”

Also, one Blessing Moses, who was displaced from Mubi North in 2015, earned her Bachelor of Nursing Science from Edo University and now volunteers at the camp’s clinic while awaiting NYSC mobilisation.She also works part-time at the Uhogua camp.

“I enrolled in school immediately after arriving,” she recalled.

“Today, I am a qualified nurse. Giving back through the clinic is my way of saying thank you.”

Another touching testimony comes from Obadiah Philemon,who once survived two weeks in the mountains, endured hunger to stay alive, yet graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in Accountancy from the University of Benin.

Also of significance is that no fewer than 147 survivors in the camp recently completed the Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE).in the just concluded NECO and NABTEB examinations. And 140 out of the 147 sat for the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, and they did very well as one person scored above 300 and more than 123 scored above 200. Currently six are undergoing the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, while five were recently called to the Nigerian Bar.

The inspirational success story of HfN is incomplete without the mention of community support. One of such came from the Kindness Family, led by Evangelist Naomi Ehigie. “We first visited through the Jesus Fellowship Prayer Band, and I was deeply touched,” Ehigie said. “We built a kitchen in 2017, donated utensils, and still provide food and supplies. Every child here deserves a chance.”

According to media reports HfN still battles with the challenges of inadequate funding, shortages of food, poor infrastructural and paying teachers’ salaries. It is painful to also note that

some lessons are sometimes held under trees!

This piece therefore, serves as a solemn call on both the state and federal governments, the private sector and rich individuals to assist the HfN in any way they can.

According to Deuteronomy 15:10-11, “There will always be the poor among you. Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.” Similarly, Psalm 41 verses 1 and 2 clearly state that: “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.”

And Proverbs 19 verse 17 admonishes us that: “

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done”. Surely, God’s reward always comes about in multiple fold

Kudos to Pastor Solomon for putting into practice these spiritual messages instead of fleecing the flock to enrich himself and his family members.