From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
As a strategic means to sustain job and wealth creations as well as the development of Umuokwaraji village in Isi Ogwa autonomous community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, Uzo Morgan Uwandu Foundation has empowered 6 skilled entrepreneurs of the ancient village with a whooping sum of 1,200,000= Naira.
Prince Uzodimma Uwandu, the Chief Executive Officer and financier of the non governmental organization was ably represented by his elder brother, Prince Obi Uwandu during the well attended entrepreneurship empowerment programme held last Sunday at Idem Ogwa, the magnificent ancestral compound of Late Prince Morgan Obi Uwandu, the father of the Philanthropist.
Presiding over the programme, Prince Obi Uwandu expressed gratitude to the donor and other of his siblings for following the philanthropic gestures of their late father whom he also described as man of the people and philanthropic ambassador.
According to him, ” am not the financier of this great empowerment programme. The donor’s initial proposal was strictly for 5 persons from Anyadike family alone, but as an elder knowing the philanthropic antecedents of our father, late Prince Morgan Obi Uwandu, I said no, let us extend it to the 6 families that constituted Umuokwaraji village, in line with the philanthropic philosophies of our late father, and Uzodimma my brother never objected and immediately increased the seed money to 1.2m Naira as against 1m Naira initially budgeted and asked him to use his wisdom and do the best, tagging the philanthropic gesture as “aku ruo ulo”(think home philosophy)”
He prayed for God’s grace upon the life of the donor and further applauded him for following the right paths of their late father who he also described as a philanthropic icon.
Uwandu who further prayed for the beneficiaries to maximize the money for the purpose for which it’s meant for, also advised them on the need to jettison life frivolities so as to be prudent and discipline in using the fund noting that they are the light with which other people in the village will be blessed in the nearest future.
Adding his voice, Mr. George Onumajuru, the Chairman of Umuokwaraji Village Assembly thanked the donor for his benevolence and patriotism towards the progress of the 6 families that constitutes Umuokwaraji village noting their late father as the community’s Philanthropic pacesetter.
Onumajuru described the gesture as maiden in his life time as the village chairman and enjoined the beneficiaries not to let the donor and the village down while reassuring of his administration’s commitments in monitoring and supervising the beneficiaries so as to ensure their success.
He passionately solicited for other illustrious sons and daughters of the village to emulate the human capacity building initiatives of Prince Uzodimma Morgan Obi Uwandu, noting that as a catalyst for systematic development and transformation of the village and the community at large.
Speaking to the people through telephone call, Prince Uzodimma Uwandu, the donor, founder and financier of the Foundation expressed gratitude to Prince Obi Uwandu whom he said is his elder brother and living father for all his understandings and encouragements and prayed for God’s infinite mercy upon his life and that of the family.
Uwandu pointed out that philanthropy has been his childhood desire, as he was spurred as a child by his late father’s persistent philanthropic gestures in terms of financial donations, supplying of water, building houses free for people, establishing businesses, offering scholarships, distribution of clothes and food items among others free to members of the families, village and Ogwa Anunu Umu Mgbe ancient clan at large.
The Philanthropist said, his mission of given 200,000= Naira to each of the entrepreneurs as a divined seed money in beefing up their businesses is likened to his age long philosophical believe, that, it’s far better to teach a man how to fish than given him fish regularly.
He lamented the lacks of shops for barbing salon, vulcanizing, shoe cobbling etc in his entire Umuokwaraji ancestral village that warrants their people to go to neighbouring villages for such essential services .
The Foundation’s financier insisted that such rural “economic insults” must stop and advised the recipients of the need to establish such trades in their locality.
Uwandu reiterated that the beneficiaries should be both male and female while canvassing the importance of women in today’s socioeconomic activities.
The youthful Philanthropist who noted that the best services ever rendered in life is that rendered to humanity, assured that the philanthropic gestures will be on regular basis as God continued to bless him and re-advised the beneficiaries on the need to be prudent with the “free” seed money given to them.
Adding their voices, Messrs Emeka Onuoha, the Secretary General of Umuokwaraji Village Meeting, Gaius Ejiofor (30 cents) on behalf of the youths, Prince Eleazar Uwandu, the Programme Organizer and Goddy Achinulo, they all prayed for God’s abundant blessings to the Philanthropist and his family, and further commended him for sustaining the family’s philanthropic trend.
They enjoined the beneficiaries on the need to be good ambassadors by achieving the purposes for which the money was given to them so as to motivate other distinguished sons and daughters of the village and community in helping other less privileged and emerging entrepreneurs.
Speaking also, Prince Chikezie Uwandu a Distinguished son of the community applauded the donor for borrowing philantropic leaves from his late father and siblings, recalled how he in the recent past, started cement business with 200, 000= Naira only, but today, due to hard work, determination, discipline, humility, fear of God and men, that the business has grown into millions of Naira and with creation of employment opportunities.
Uwandu who further asked Almighty God for his infinite grace upon the Philanthropist, passionately enjoined the beneficiaries to be worthy ambassadors and to consider the empowerment as a challenge for their upliftment and growth.
He reassured of the family commitments in monitoring and supervising whatever economic endaevour they are doing, even as he reiterated that they were planning the empowerment programme for Anyadike family alone, but their elder brother, Prince Obi Uwandu insisted that it must be for the 6 families that constitutes Umuokwaraji village.
The beneficiaries are Messrs Chinoso Robert Nwaogu, an Electrician from Osuocha family, Ifeanyi Gabriel Orieukwu Uwandu from Anyadike family, Chigozie Ebeniyi, a barber from Iwuozu family, Onyekachi Anyanwu, a driver from Ofoebo family Chidinma Ejiogu,( Nma) a known cobbler who’s a deaf and dumb and from Onyeaku family, while Mbawike family was yet to resolve who will be their beneficiary as at the time of this report.
Furthermore, the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the Philanthropist and the entire family of late Prince Morgan Obi Uwandu for their meeks of human kindness and prayed for God’s grace and mercies to be upon them.
While given assurances of good entrepreneurship and good ambassadors, they pointed out that the most important thing is for them the recipients to utilize the money satisfactorily by creating wealths and employment opportunities so that the donor and the society will use them as positive reference points of appreciation.
