Nigerian Turkish Varsities’ Alumni Promise More Philanthropy

*Visit charity homes in Edo, Delta

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

A group of Nigerians who graduated from universities in Turkey has promised to step up activities towards complementing various efforts at providing humanitarian assistance to the less privileged and vulnerable members of the society in Nigeria. 

The group stated this when they donated various items to some homes for motherless children and orphans located in Edo and Delta states, adding that the love and humane motive behind the gesture superseded the monetary value of the items donated.

The less privileged children’s homes targeted by the Nigerian graduates from various Turkish universities to share the joy of the last Christmas and New Year celebrations in Nigeria include Eghosa Orphanage Home in Benin-City, Edo State, Little Saints Orphanage in Warri, Delta State and the Motherless Babies Home of the Little Lilies of the Most Holy Trinity Foundation, Okwe near Asaba, the Delta State capital.

A former member of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Emmanuel Orugboh, who is the group’s activity coordinator in Delta State, said that the idea was not to impress anybody with the amount of money and items donated to the charity homes.

He said that it was rather meant to complement various efforts by good spirited individuals to make life meaningful to these vulnerable members of the society.

Orugboh harped on the generally unfriendly economic situation in the country, saying that there was an urgent need for Nigerians to reinvent the culture of caring for others no matter how little they had.

“Yes, we have a culture in this country of being our brother’s keeper; we don’t say we are too poor or don’t have enough to share with others. I think this prevailing situation in the country requires the revive this culture because that will address many problems were are facing in the country, including insecurity”, he said.

At the GRA Benin-City residence of Eghosa Orphanage Home, where the excitement of children reflected the general mood for Season, the Edo State Coordinator, Dr Peter Ogundigie of the Igbinedion University, commended the founders and workers at orphanages, saying that God is always pleased with those who offer humanitarian services and give parental care to children who had none “due to no fault of theirs at all.”

Nonetheless, the founder and world-wide coordinator of the group, Germany-based journalist and author, Frisky Larr (Friday Agbonlahor), and Dr Ogundigie, told THISDAY that the donation to the orphanages was just a gesture of love, adding that the Turkish universities alumni across Nigeria had resolved to increase the donations in future.

Larr, who also initiated the philanthropic dimension to the socio-cultural programme of the Turkish universities’ alumni in Nigeria noted that members of the group, the Association of Alumni of Turkish Universities (Türkiye Old Boys Association) is a little over a decade old and has active members spread around the country and other parts of the world.