By Chimezie Godfrey
The Global Initiative For Peace Love and Care (GIPLC), a trailblazing NGO, has presented cheque of N100million to 15 less privileged Nigerian children with health challenges.
Addressing newsmen during the occassion on Thursday in Abuja, the Director General/National Coordinator, GIPLC, Nuhu Kwajafa disclosed that the funds, approximately US$160,000, was raised during a birthday/charity dinner held in Paris, France, that hosted their Grand Patron, Igho Charles-Sanomi in May.
Kwajarafa also revealed that the NGO has given over N400million from January to July, 2023.”Over N400million naira have been disbursed to beneficiaries from January till today,”he said.
He decried the fact that state governors across the country spent so much on logistics, and also that organizations like UNICEF could raise funds for other purposes but hardly pay medical bills of children.
He stressed the need for a collective effort of all relevant stakeholders to support the less privileged in the society in paying the medical bills of their children with critical health challenges
He said,”UNICEF, Bill Gate Foundation, they will never give you money to pay medical bills of these children, they can spend for various projects, like HIV, Polio, among others but they never give you money to pay medical bills for children. Even the Governors, you how much the Governors spend for logistics. If they can contribute one million naira every month by all the governors will go a long way.
“If every Nigerian should do the right thing, this will help a long way to help so many Nigerian children that are dying every day.
“My driving force is the smile you see on the faces of recipients, saying thank you on their faces after a successful surgery.
“Just like today, the beneficiaries who had previously benefitted and are doing okay, are another motivation for me.”
As an integral part of the event, the GIPLC DG presented the N100million cheque to various beneficiaries for new medical cases. They include N10million issued to the parents of baby Elizabeth, for heart surgery; N2million to parents of Odey Onire a 7 years old child with head tumour; N23million to Mrs Kelechi for surgery; N500,000 thousand to Mrs Theresa Mohammed, among others.
Mrs Hauwa Ibrahim, mother of 13-year-old Fai’za Ibrahim, said the N10 million support for her daughter suffering from spinal, loose bowel and lack of urine control, would be used for surgery.
She said, “My 13-year-old daughter has been using diaper since birth, despite several medical interventions.”
Similarly, Mrs Deborah Malan, mother of 11-year-old Jonathan, expressed appreciation to the organisation for their supports in taking care of the medical bills of her ailing son.
Thrilling testimonies were given by elated beneficiaries who profoundly thanked and prayed for GIPLC. Some of them shed tears of joy while recounting the ordeals they faced when their situations seemed hopeless, according them hope came when they had contact with the GIPLC.
A notable one among them was that of Mr Buzugbe Ferdinand, a father of co-joined twins, named Elijah and Elisha, who expressed gratitude to GIPLC and to God Almighty for the successful surgery fully sponsored by the NGO.
He said,”After 20 or 30minutes in the theatre they brought my children out, and the doctors said these are your children, when I saw them I said what kind of children are these, they were joined together. In my mind I said how can I cope with these kind of children. The good thing that God did was that they came with their hands, left legs and their manhood, all other things were joined together with the neck. It is only the neck that separated them. I asked God what kind of children are these?
“Somebody told me that I should not border myself that there is some people we can connect with that can assist me to do the surgery because only me cannot handle it.
“The next morning I was connected to Sister Aisha who then connected me to Mr Nuhu. So Nuhu came, GIPLC came, and so light came. He gave me hope where I had no hope again. So, it was like God sent a messenger to me. He gave me hope, and told me that they can be separated. So, right from the day he came to the day they separated them, everything they supported it.
“I want to thank the GIPLC for giving my children hope because without them there was no hope again. So, they were separated successfully, everything it took them to separate them the GIPLC support it. I want to pray for Nuhu that the good work you have been doing God will support you, in Jesus name, amen.”
Other beneficiaries among many others, include Ali who was barely two years when he was ran over by Boko-Haram terrorists. Ali now 11 years sustained a spinal cord injury but was successfully corrected through surgical process sponsored by GIPLC.
The high light of the event was the presentation of award of “Pillar of Hope” and Ambassador of the less privileged to the GIPLC DG presented by Favour Adah Paul, head of NGOs in Benue State, onbehalf of vulnerable groups in Nigeria.
