A Christian inter-denomination charity organization, Heal The World Movement in partnership with the Lions Club, Ikeja Crystal has donated food items and other materials to orphanage homes, homeless children and aged people in the society.
According to the founder of Heal The World Movement, Apostle Tola Olukilede, the gesture is an annual event to mark the movement’s convention in Nigeria, stressing that food items such as bags of rice, beans, garri, packs of noodles, toiletries, clothing are donated to the orphanage homes as well as the less privileged aged in the society.
Apostle Olukilede who disclosed that the program known as Home Day being run by Heal The World Movement and Tolu Olukilede Ministry International, started in 2003, added that about 10 orphanage homes were taken care of, including the payment of school fees of some selected children in the orphanage homes.
Apart from the donation to orphanage homes, about 500 homeless children in the neighborhood were also given free cooked jollof rice during the ministry tour around some areas in Lagos road tour.
Apostle Olukilede who is also the President/Coordinating Pastor, Heal The World Movement and Tola Olukilede International Ministry, said he’s happy to be able to put smiles on the faces of the children and the other less privileged people on the street.
“We always tag today as Home Day, that is the day we interact with the homes. We also invite the Homes for the Aged people. We give them food, materials and other things. While most of them are over 70, the young ones that can still move around always attend this meeting and the convention.
He also disclosed that for the first time since the organisation began its charity works, the Lion Club is partnering with it to further extend and expand the charity work to more orphanage homes.
“I am a member of the club. I joined them recently. And since it’s my club, they decided to partner with Heal The World. They are led by the president and Zonal Chairperson with clothing and some other materials to give out to the children and the less privileged in the society.
On amounts expended so far; “So far, I can tell you that we have spent several millions of naira over the years. This year alone, we have spent over N600,000 buying food such as rice, beans, garri, noodles and others.
“Our progress is inspired by the number of children that are passing out of schools as well as those in the universities. For the fact that we can pay their school fees is enough progress because they are not being sent out of schools.
“When we look at the number of children who have benefited from our scholarship over the years, they are more than 5,000. When we pick up a child and we start paying his or her school fees, we don’t leave such until he passes out of the university. We don’t do a yearly scholarship, we do what we call school life scholarship. As long as you remain in school, we keep on paying your school fees.
“Aside from the orphanage homes, we also cater for millions of people in the public. But the criteria we gave to them is that you must come to our ministry, you must be part of our ministry. Otherwise, we would be giving money to people who are fake. So when you join us, we can then investigate you.
“We have had an occasion where a woman came here, told us that her husband was dead, she even presented a death certificate, but we later found out that her husband is still alive. The husband told us he’s not dead.
He noted; “Presently, we have people from Ikorodu, Badagry, Agege, Ajegunle who also come to us. We have from Akure, Oyo, all over Nigeria that we cater for. If they cannot come here, all we need to do is to investigate. Our members are all over the country apart from the northern region.
Also speaking at the event, the Zone Chairperson, Ikeja Crystal Lions Club, Lion Katrin Obalim said the Club decided to partner the Heal The World Movement as it is in line with its objectives of rendering humanitarian services to the society.
She said; “Lions Club is about humanitarian services. We like to help the people, the needy and the less privileged in society. As our member, when Lion Apostle Tola Olukilede mentioned this programme, we were moved to support him financially and morally. He is doing what is expected of him, so we are glad to be part of his ministry activities.