Hyacinth Chinweuba
“The executives and members of CRAN a body of inestimable values on Wednesday visited Lagos state old people’s home Yaba with gift items, says giving to the needy should be the best way of marking the new year”.
Despite the economic challenges rocking the country, the executive and members of Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), a body of journalists covering the security beat nationwide, feels the elderly ones also should have a place in the society regardless of the circumstances surrounding them.
The Association’s President, Mr Sunday Odita, during the visit with his members to the Lagos State Old People’s Home at Sabo-Yaba, Lagos, said such gesture could give the happiness the senior citizens needed at the twilight of their lives. He however used the opportunity to call on Nigerians of goodwill to reach out to old people’s homes to share love noting that little love shown to the senior citizens in our society keep them going. They need all the love and care that we can shower on them. We must all try as much as possible to live for them in our society. Celebrating with them to me, add value to their lives hence the reason for contributing our token to the wellbeing of our aged citizens,” Odita said during the visit on Wednesday.
Furthermore, Odita stated that old people in the society face a myriad of problems including hunger, health problems, lack of financial succor to keep body and soul together and lack of decent accommodation to complete neglect by the state. But CRAN have taken the challenge to give the aged a better deal by donating a brand new table top refrigerator, toiletries, One (1) bag 50kg of foreign parboiled rice, Two (2) bags of semolina, Two (2) bags of wheat, Two (2) cartons of cabin biscuits, Two (2) packs of three crowns tin milk, One (1) bucket of Checkers custard, Two (2) 2kg of Sunlight detergent, five (5) packs of bottle water, One (1) carton of cornflakes, One (1) carton Dangote macaroni, Three (3) packs of toilet rolls, One (1) bottle of 4.5litres of Sunola oil, Four (4) rolls of bathing soaps, Two fabrics of 6yards of Ankara, Ten (10) crates of eggs, Two (2) cartons of income noodles among others, to the home.
Odita added that giving back to the elderly people should be a best way of living as we all pray to live and grow old”
The home’s social welfare Officer, Mr. Jide, while receiving the materials, thanked the group.
“I want to sincerely thank all of you for finding time to visit us and more importantly for the donation of various items to us. God bless you. But like Oliver Twist, we will continue to ask for more; remember us always because it is not easy running a place like this. Jide added
He noted the home presently has 32 aged people at present, and also accommodates two categories of residents; the homeless and those brought in by their relatives. many have died of frustration and hardship as a result of lack of care from their children, relatives, neighbours and friends, our outermost priority is to look after to see smiles on the faces of neglected elders and good health.
In his response, president of the Association Mr. Sunday Odita applauded the caregivers for their immeasurable and selfless services.
“You must carry love along, show it and let it be seen in you because it generates peace, harmony in the family and society at large”
“Thank God for today’s visit and how we were able to come here with these items, it was a wonderful experience and great opportunity to give back to the elderly in our own little way.
I sincerely appreciate all who supported this visit, both in gifts and cash, our greatest achievement is that the care givers are happy to receive our little token of support and the sense of belonging in the faces of these senior citizens.
CRAN in her agenda has lots of oriented activities like this visitation/presentation of gifts to less privileged ones and the elderly in a bid to assure the general public that organization belongs to the people, saying it does not take so much to take care of the needs of the needy in our society.” Odita stated in conclusion.