A Non Governmental Organization, Igbos Love Themselves Charity Foundation, worldwide, in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State said it has paid medical bills of about 6,000 patients since five years of its establishment.
The founder, Ezeaku Ejiofor who disclosed this on Sunday while fielding questions from newsmen in his office, said the charity work of the organisation was targeted at putting smiles on the faces of the poor and downtrodden.
He listed most of the beneficiaries to include, those suffering from fibroid that were 2,000 in number, those with holes in their hearts, anus problem, cancers of various types, birth deliveries, heart failures, liver problems, among others.
He however regretted that most of the patients lost their lives as a result of their inability to pay their medical bills.
He said, “I have this passion to assist the poor, it is inborn in me, and it was what led to my formation of the NGO, to assist the poor. The formation was God’s making, to bring it to this magnitude, that the NGO is now scattered all over the Southeast states, and beyond, what I started here in Nkpor Junction, now left the apartment for a flat in another place within Nkpor.
“It all started when I was building my house at Umusiome Nkpor, through my Facebook platform, an old man that was molding blocks for me, told me when I wanted to pay him that he has no money to procure what his family will eat to celebrate the Newyear day, that was the next day.
“I then told my wife to give me her Android phone to video the man as he was molding the blocks, I videoed and put it in Facebook and minutes later my wife told me somebody, Chi Boy, from Canada, has sent #10,000 to the block molder.
“Before you know it more people sent theirs and #50,000 was realized which was meant for the man. The man was living in a mud thatched one room apartment in Ogidi with his family of five.
“We called him and he trekked from his house close to Iyi-Enu hospital to come and collect the money. We are transparent in what we are doing because I have the passion for the poor. People in Diaspora who donated the money advised me to set up an NGO as a platform for those poor people and I did. Today it is the Igbos Love Themselves Charity Foundation, worldwide.
“I rented a flat for the man which cost about #450,000 and built a bungalow for him in his Ehamufu country home, Enugu State. Though he is late now, the family enjoys the comfort of their home,” he explained.
“Another example of my passion for the poor was sponsoring for treatment of a 12 year old only son, from Awomanma, who had a hole in his heart. He was taken to India and treated. His heart was removed and returned, today the boy is healthy and can play football.
“There are so many of such cases which are so numerous that we can’t stay here to mention. There is this case of a family from Ukulu, Ebonyi State, held in India because no money to fly them back to Nigeria. We paid.
“We empowered scores of poor people, gave shops and money to them and today they are owners of their shops. From hawking to ownership of shops. We do this for God and not man,” he further explained.
“There is this woman that hawks satchet water, we empowered her and today she is the owner of her shop. We do these for the poor to feel belong because we are all children of God.”
