It was a stoic display of philanthropism and love during the last Easter celebrations as a nongovernmental organization (NGO), in Ubakala Clan, Umuahia South local government area of Abia State, the Lively Hope Foundation, showered cash gifts, foodstuffs and bundles of pieces of wrapper to indigent natives and students of Ubakala and beyond.
The organization, whose founders, Rev Arc Benson and Rev Mrs Pat Ezem, has since the past 31 years, organized carols and choir competitions in Ubakala Clan every Christmas and New Year festivities continued the donations during the celebration of 2021 Easter.
In 2021 year event, scores of men, women and youths were empowered as some them smiled home with various items that met their immediate needs. Some of them came from poor homes, making the touch on their lives remarkable and enlivening.
Reverend Ezem and the wife, Pat, who had done this philanthropy for 31 years, said while espousing the vision that led them to establish the foundation, that it was on 26th December, 1986 that God asked them to raise an altar of praise and worship that would spread His word across the clan of Ubakala.
This, they added, led to the other episodes that metamorphosed into the current gale philanthropism. According to them, “that vision that was planted as a mustard seed has grown to become a conglomerate of God’s blessings on, not only in Ubakala, but also for Abia and Nigeria in general”.
Citing Genesis chapter 8 and 9, Ezem disclosed that the vision was for praise and worship, but God later expanded it to other areas like offering of scholarship, free medical treatment, empowerment to some church workers and traders as well as hosting of arts and music competitions.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
