- Unveils ‘Touch Life One on One’ charity project
Lady Ngozi Obah, Noble President, Ladies of St. Mulumba (LSM) Nigeria has enjoined women to be resilient in the face of the economic hardship in Nigeria that is biting very hard and has seen many plunged into poverty as cost of living soars daily. The Noble President in her welcome remarks at the just concluded 45th LSM Annual National Convention held in Warri, noted that one way to survive the economic downturn and challenges is to have a resilient heart, mind and body. She said, “This is the time to chart the course for a resilient heart, mind and body by evoking our three Ts: Time, Talent and Treasure for survival.
It is a call to discover that new thing that will add value to life in this present situation in our country Nigeria. Let us also marry our three Ts with the three Ss: Sustainability, Spirituality and Selfless service. With these, we shall surmount poverty, wretchedness, backwardness, economic hardship and difficulty. We shall also overcome adversity.” The theme of the 2023 edition of the Convention is “Thriving Amidst Adversity: Resilience and Coping Strategies for Women” Lady Obah described the theme as topical and highly germane to all considering what the entire citizenry, particularly women are facing in Nigeria today.
She advised the women, “Life is becoming tougher and tougher for everyone, but there is need to be positive about it, and think of how to thrive, survive, cope and be resilient in spite of it all. Ladies of St. Mulumba, all women in the Church and the country, the message of this Convention is that we must survive and move on in life and health in Nigeria, together with our loved ones. “We have to thrive, we have to survive, we have to be resilient, we need to be strong and we must move on. Situations are becoming overwhelming, but we must strive on and dispose ourselves to ensure survival in spite of all odds. Like the Psalmists in Ps 27: and Ps 118:17, we shall not die but live, for we are confident that we shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
We know that the Lord is mindful of them who put their trust in Him. We and the children God has given to us are for signs and wonders. We will be part of God’s remnants no matter the tides. “This Convention’s theme is a sincere and clarion call for hard work and visionary planning strategy for survival. Let us be committed to the works we do in life to earn a living, let us plan and strategise on a working plan ‘B’ to help sustain life. Engage in entrepreneurial ventures, and engage the children in skills that can add value to life, talent and the human intuition. “We must discover new ways to cope in order to surmount hardship.
The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 is known for hard work, strength and industrious potentials; it is only with these visions that we will surmount adversity at this critical time. “I encourage every lady here to strive to discover new potentials within her and harness it into something worthwhile. Bring in all the virtues of an ideal lady which include: humility, piety, hard work, gentleness, respect for one another, trust. Obedience and commitment will enhance our drive towards resilience.” As LSM’s contribution to reducing incidents of poverty, she disclosed her plans to unveil a charity project tagged, ‘Touch Life One on One’ designed to promote entrepreneurship and empower her members. She stressed, “It is our vision to collectively fight poverty in our midst by helping one another.
The question is, what is that which I will do to help my fellow sister overcome poverty and economic hardship; and I will selflessly do it to add value to my fellow sister’s life. “In this Convention, we will unveil our National Charity Programme “Touch Life One on One” for ourselves and others. The vision of this charity programme is to touch the lives of our sisters and others who are seriously under the weather of financial and economic difficulty. It is said that charity begins at home, and our target is to empower 400 people across the country within this tenure.
“This is the time to look inwards among ourselves and identify our sisters who are in the pit of hardship and difficulty, and can no longer help themselves or train their children. It is the vision of this project to alleviate the problems of such sisters of ours. It is our vision to empower them to engage in entrepreneurial ventures so that they can bounce back and become useful to themselves and the Order.” Lady Obah added, “The charity project is also looking at reaching out to the intelligent children of the indigent who may have dropped out of school for lack of sponsorship. In synergy, we shall help them bounce back to life through entrepreneurial engagements.
We ask God to guide us in the selection and choices of those in need of this help, so that we achieve our vision. We shall flag it off with freewill donations, and we invite charitable individuals who have that charitable heart and disposition towards the poorest of the poor, to partner with us to show love to those in dire need of help and assistance within and outside us, but more importantly within us.”
