Press Week: Ebonyi NUJ Visits Orphanage Home, Donates Food, Other Items

As part of activities marking the 2025 Press Week, the Ebonyi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has paid a charity visit to the Trinitarian Foundation for Orphans and the Helpless, located at Oterufie, Ugwuachara in Abakaliki, where the union donated food items and other essential materials to support the home.

Leading members of the Council on the visit, the State Chairman of NUJ, Comrade Samson Nwafor, said the gesture formed part of the union’s annual tradition of reaching out to the less privileged in society during its Press Week celebrations. According to him, journalism is not only about reporting issues but also about contributing to humanitarian causes that uplift society. He emphasized that the NUJ, through its activities, strives to offer both moral and material support to the needy.

"This visit is part of our Press Week activities. Every year, we set aside a week to evaluate our work, celebrate with our friends, and give back to society. We were here last year, and though we were saddened by the condition of the home, we resolved to continue identifying with you. “If we had the means, we would do more, but we promise to let the public know about this place through our various media platforms so that more people can support this great humanitarian effort,” Comrade Nwafor stated. He further assured the management of the home that NUJ will help amplify their challenges through media coverage to attract the attention of well-meaning individuals and organizations. Receiving the items on behalf of the Foundation, Sister Emelesina Ani expressed deep gratitude to the journalists for what she described as “an overwhelming show of love and support.”

She explained that most of the children at the home lost their parents at birth and that the Foundation had been catering to their welfare, including providing for their education and healthcare needs. "We sincerely appreciate your coming and the support you have brought. Many of these children were abandoned at birth, and we have taken it upon ourselves to care for them. Some are in nursery and primary school, while a few are in secondary school. “We, however, face many challenges — the house is overcrowded, the compound has no fence, and we suffer flooding whenever it rains. We appeal to the NUJ to help us create more awareness so that kind-hearted individuals can come to our aid,” Sister Ani pleaded. Items donated by the Ebonyi NUJ to the orphanage include bags of rice, cartons of noodles, diapers, tomatoes, detergents, and children’s beds, among others.