Christmas: See how family sustains parents philanthropic legacy

By Kingsley Chukwuka

Your gifts items especially at Christmas will help unlock the destiny of hundreds of orphans and widows, and put smiles on their faces, this is what we grew up watching our parents do to the less privileged, Dr. Rose Oriaran Anthony, said on Sunday during a Christmas party organised for orphans and widows in Abuja.

Continuing with their parents legacy of helping the indigents who lived among them, Mrs Anthony who spoke on behalf of the late Sunday and Omoikhere Oriaran family, said at the death of their parents, the family took a decision to continue the kind works of helping the less privileged.

“But we decided to take it to the next level by registering a foundation, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), called Sunday and Omoikhere Oriaran Foundation (SOOF), through which we have reached out to many widows and orphans over the years”, She said.

She Continued: “At Christmas we usually take gift items to them at the orphanage, but this year we decided to organize a Christmas party for them, so they can better feel the spirit of the season and know what it feels like to live a normal life.

“To meet their needs this Christmas, every widow will go home with not less than two bags of 5kG rice, maggi seasoning, oil, noodles, women wrapper and other condiments for cooking”, she said.

Mrs Anthony who was recently re-elected as the Secretary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the Christmas give-away is not only for Christians but also for Muslim widows and orphans.

“Our Foundation is without religious bias and what we do is without segregation, be you a Muslim or Christian, we give everyone equal opportunity, because this is what we learnt from our parents”, She added.

Our correspondent reports that the Christmas party tagged SOOF 2022: Widows and Orphans Outreach, held at the Abuja Park and Zoo Asokoro, was in partnership with the Water Light Initiative.

The outreach hosted over 210 widows and over 100 orphans, our correspondent reports.