Ifeizu Joe reports that for six years running, Abu Maduaburochukwu Foundation, a Non-governmental Organisation founded by a young real estate mogul from Awka, Chief Maduaaburochukwu Attah has consistently put smiles on the faces of indigent people in the community.
Last week, less privileged individuals, including the physically challenged, widows and others in Awka, Anambra State had reasons to smile. It was the sixth anniversary of Abu Mmaduaburochukwu Foundation, and the 37th birth anniversary of its founder, Mr Mmaduaburochukwu Attah. To mark the day, the founder had thoroughly mobilized to put smiles on the faces of indigent people that had been invited to the programme.
The indigents were not the only ones who thronged the venue, as Attah had prepared for all classes of people, with gifts befitting of people of all status. His friends and business associates all came to celebrate with him, but it turned out an opportunity for them to also touch the lives of the many indigent people that were gathered at the event, as they made donations to help the foundation continue to alleviate the poor from their present state.
During the event, the foundation gave out scholarships to children of the poor for their secondary education. It shared food items, consisting of 400 bags of rice, 150 bags of beans. The foundation also empowered needy people with eight sewing machines, six hair dryers, laptops to upcoming tech entrepreneurs and bales of wrappers to women in the community.
Speaking with journalists on the reason for the empowerment, Attah said: “I cannot quantify what I have given out today in monetary terms, but I can only say that I am not giving because I have too much, but because I derive joy in giving. At various times, I have given to the level that I gave out all, almost leaving nothing for myself. It just gives me joy when I see people show happiness because they have gotten something the longed for, and which they could not give to themselves.
“We cannot all wait for government to take people out of poverty, everybody can contribute their quota. What you have seen here are things we have been doing for six years now since we incorporated this foundation. It is something we do every year unfailingly, but this year, the anniversary of the sixth year of this foundation fell on the same day as my birthday, so we had to make it a joint event.
My main motivation for doing this is that I grew up from a poor home. Those days, we faced a lot of lack, and my family could not afford the things we needed, even though we looked forward to it. We could not even join other children to school at the appropriate time. So, with the blessings that God has given me, we are doing all that we can to ensure that we help others who are in lack, put smiles on the faces of others to the best of our ability, and that is what we have been doing all along.”
Torrents of praises came from the beneficiaries who were obviously happy for the opportunity to have received empowerment materials from the foundation. Miss Joy Ani, from Enugu State who spoke to journalists said: “I’m very happy to be among the people selected to benefit from this gesture. Mr Abuchi Attah came to our institute where we are being trained as fashion designers sometime ago, and met me. He asked me if I had graduated from training, I said yes, but added that I cannot leave now because I have not gotten the various equipment that can help me set up my own. He asked me to forward my name to his foundation for empowerment. That was how I was selected, even though I never knew him, and not an indigene of Anambra State.”
Wife of the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mrs Ikemi Echeng who led members of Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) to the event for the empowerment of some of their members said it would not be the first time police officers wives are benefiting from the foundation. Echeng who was represented by wife of Officer in charge of Operations in Anambra State Police command, Mrs Odumu said: “Just last year, the foundation gave out scholarships to children of police officers and also empowered some wives of police officers, and today again, we are here as he empowers our members again. With what he is doing, I think he is laying treasures for himself in heaven,” She said.
