Women group rehabilitates the poor
By Odogwu Emeka Odowgu, Nnewi 3 hours 49 minutes ago
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•The Women of Ebenezer •The Women of Ebenezer

Builds N2m home for widow



Every year, people facing sundry challenges get help from a women group in Ebenezer Anglican Church, Nnewi, Anambra State. The Women of Ebenezer have picked up bills for the poor. They have sheltered a good number, and have given hope to many.

This year was the turn of Mrs Ezinwanne Onwuasoeze, a widow of over seven years. In the course of her widowhood, she lost a child, even as she struggled to raise her remaining three male children. All she had for shelter was a mud building surrounded by glitzy buildings of the rich. Then one day, the mud house collapsed following a heavy downpour.

Mrs Onwuasoeze wept, naturally, but when the Women of Ebenezer Anglican Church built her a three-bedroom bungalow, she wept again, for joy.

The women were never consulted to assist the widow when her mud house collapsed some years ago. She never went about asking for help from the church because according to her, “there is too much hunger and problem in the land”. She simply packed her bags and left for Ozubulu to live in her parents’ house.

She lacked words to show appreciation to the women, and prayed God to bless them. She still does her petty trading in palm nuts at the Eke Amangwu Nnewi market in order to cater for her children.

Mrs Onwuasoeze was a devoted member of the church. In spite of her challenges, even living far away in her parents’ hometown, she remained committed to church activities, always giving her best. That was what moved the Women of Ebenezer to help her.

“Mrs Onwuasoeze is so committed in the church,” said Mrs Nkiruka Chukwuma, wife of the Vicar Ebenezer Anglican Church, Nnewi. “When her family house collapsed, she left to her fathers’ house but yet she did not miss any church function. We were surprised by that and when it comes to our yearly ritual of uplifting our fellow women especially those challenged like widows, we remembered her dedication and commitment to the things of God and decided to attend to the most pressing need she had, which was accommodation.

“And in that challenging moment some other Christian blocks demanded that she abandon her faith to join theirs before they would assist her. But in spite of all the enticement she refused to listen to them. All this information came when we had already nominated her to benefit from our yearly largess to widows. She was not the only one we nominated but because hers was a house, so pronounced everybody is now talking about her but we have started business for people and have done much more things for others and still doing”.

Mrs Chukwuma concluded thus: “Our widowhood programme is a yearly project and we don’t play with it. We request monies from those who are indeed wealthy among us and in the society at large to assist those who have nothing but are dedicated in the service of God. We call it Widow’s Seminar. The house started one year ago precisely May, 2010 when the foundation stone was laid by the Vicar of Ebenezer Anglican Church Nnewi, Reverend Wilfred Olisa Chukwuma.”

Chairperson, Home and Abroad Meeting of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Nnewi, Mrs Chinyere Osinike said the project was executed with love hence they were able to complete it quickly.

“We did it out of love for Christ who charged us to look after the welfare of the widows,” she said. “Nobody said anything against it when the idea was mooted but they all rallied round and assisted the poor woman abandoning their own personal concerns for the betterment of another individual. Remember everybody has his or her own problem especially in a rustic village like this. So we give all the glory to God”.

Mrs Osinike prayed God to remember all the families of the women who laboured to ensure that a fellow woman was not put to shame.

Project Manager of the house, Mrs Ifeakandu Monica was happy that it was completed in record time.

“I am happy not only because we have completed the house which I built as if I was doing it for myself. I abandoned all I was supposed to be doing in my house to be the contractor and site engineer of the house even when I did not go to school.”

Dedicating the house recently, the Vicar, Reverend Chukwuma commended the women for positively impacting the lives of others, and urged that more people in hopeless conditions should be given hope.

“This is a landmark celebration because this widow, Mrs Onwuasoeze, has been relieved of over 60 per cent of her worries; her children’s too. I appreciate all that contributed in one way or the other to ensure that this project is dedicated today. I pray for God’s elevation in their families and businesses in Jesus name.

“A good Christian would always be remembered by God if the person must wait on the Lord. This woman here did not know she was going to be in her own house this year but today she is a proud house owner and that is God for you.”

Newsextra gathered that there were some challenges while building the house. At a time, thieves invaded the compound and stole all the aluminum materials but the women went into prayers, and the rogues brought the items back.

Many high-rise buildings surround the poor widow’s compound. A neighbor had this to say about the condition of the woman:

“Her husband died some years back and later her mud house collapsed because probably she could not cope with the patching her late husband used to give it to avoid collapsing.”

On why no assistance from them till the women of Ebenezer Church came to her rescue, he said: “No we have assisted her. We helped her by keeping some of her property that can be destroyed by the rain in our house”.

Mr Emenike Ben who works in the Teaching Hospital Nnewi confirmed that the major problem facing the woman now was how to purchase a meter to enable Power Holding Company of Nigeria not to disconnect her house.

Another neighbour in the village who came out of her massive compound when Newsextra visited, Mrs Oge Emenike, a Catholic, commended the Anglican Communion women for their profound humanitarian gesture to a widow.

About the widow, she said: “I have done my best for her as much as I could. Again, whenever I am around because I work in Nnewi North Local Government, I would plead with the PHCN not to disconnect her light and I have done that time without number. I explained to them that the building was built by a church and not the woman. I also thank the woman who supervised the Project Monica; she really worked with the fear of God”.

The Lord Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, The Right Reverend Professor Godwin Okpala and wife, Mrs Eugenia N. Okpala, Nnebuife were happy that the clergy and wives in Nnewi diocese are indeed committed and dedicated in the gospel of reaching out to the needy in the society. They described the gesture as encouraging and worthy of emulation.



•Odogwu wrote in from Nnewi

See what our women are doing, despite the fuel increase. Can our sisters in the W and N do the same or for them its all about seeking cheap fuel?

Good article Nchara

OP,
We know this!
It is on record that only Igbo women contribute for the development of their communities. Building structures like clinics and schools. #TeamNdiNneMaMa# Isokwa!!!!
If other women from other zones do same, then they need to speak up/out!