By Patrick Ochei
The highly revered monarch of Ubulu-Uno Kingdom and 2nd Vice Chairman of Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Obi Henry Afamefune Kikachukwu Ph.D, has said that the Executive Director of Fostering Hopes Foundation, Nkechi Ukome is building a legacy of hopes for vulnerable individuals in the society, maintaining that history can never forget such monumental humanitarian gestures.
He made this statement while responding to question on why he has chosen to support an NGO like the Fostering Hopes Foundation whose focus and agenda are mainly supporting women and children.
Obi Kikachukwu affirmed that as a traditional ruler, he has the obligation to support any initiative that brings development to the community, especially one that seeks to empower families for family preservation and protection of the rights of the child.
According to him, “It’s only a natural call to support laudable initiatives such as the ones being pursued by Fostering Hopes Foundation. It’s because of the importance I attach to what this Foundation is doing that made me to leave an equally important meeting that concerns my community’s progress to rush down for this press conference. In my local parlance, it is said that a child born in a community does not only belong to the mother and father, it belongs also to the community.
“My daughter Nkechi Ukome is taking a lot of burdens off the Government’s shoulders and community leaders like us must support this, because it is a good omen for the community at all levels. We cannot thank Nkechi Ukome and her team in Fostering Hopes Foundation enough, for this laudable initiative of empowering communities, one family at a time, just so everybody can survive and live happily from the family setting towards the good and progress of the community”, Obi Kikachukwu affirmed.
Speaking on behalf of the Desert Warrior, Chief Dr Newton Jibunoh, the former Operations Director of Costain (West Africa) Plc, Mr. Onuorah Aligbe commended the initiatives of the Fostering Hopes Foundation to do charity that involves the entire family system of man, his wife and children in such a magnitude, describing it as a rare feat.
He said, those who stand up to do projects for communities without being asked to do so, are rare. “They are divinely called to play a role that is Godly; helping God to advance the course of humanity”, he posited.
Mr. Aligbe maintained that it is always easy for Dr. Jibunoh to support initiatives such as Fostering Hopes Foundation, having been internationally acclaimed as a supporter of countries on humanitarian and environmental vulnerability.
Additionally, Mr. Aligbe advised the Foundation to endeavour to toe the path of accountability, stating that humans are inclined to support humanitarian courses if only there are evidences of integrity and transparency.
The press conference as anchored by the Director of Community Engagement and Development, Comrade Patrick Ochei on behalf of Fostering Hopes Foundation, centred around the achievements of the Foundation within a space of one year.
The Foundation according to the briefing, had so far empowered 12 families with business support grants and 40 children on scholarship that runs from nursery to secondary education plan in private schools, specifically to assist society in ensuring family preservation and child support through protection and development. Additionally, the Foundation has also been involved in creating developmental initiatives in skills for other vulnerable individuals like widows.
