The Chairman of the Islamic Orphanage Foundation (IOF), Architect Seafullahi Alege has said that the enrollment of orphans into various schools including tertiary institutions costs the foundation N2.75 million every term.
Architect Alege disclosed this in Ilorin on Wednesday (March 28, 2018) during a courtesy visit to the management of the Kwara State Printing and Publishing Corporation, the publisher of The Herald Newspapers.
He said the foundation which was established in the year 2002, had almost 300 orphans in its care.
The chairman explained that the orphans under the foundation’s care are in various levels of schools ranging from nursary, primary, secondary to tertiary institutions across kwara state.
According to him “We are equally proud to say that we have trained several graduates of various higher institutions, few of whom are gainfully employed while several are yet to gain employment.
“Quite a sizeable number are undergoing studies in Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies and Universitie. Some of the orphans have graduated from Islamic training institutes while others are still receiving training.
“Others have been given vocational training and empowered while others some are still receiving training.
“Similarly, in our efforts to ease the sustenance of these orphans, few of the widows and guardians have been secured gainfully employments while others are empowered in form of trades and little businesses from personal donations to avoid dipping hands into the purse of donations entrusted to us by meaningful and committed individuals to train the orphans”.
Architect Alege also disclosed the foundation was planing to construct a Multipurpose Orphanage Centre that will comprise of Nursary and Primary Schools, homes for abandoned infants, babies, children and grow up orphans wimho have no relations to take care of them.
Other facilities the centre would contain according to him include an institute for various vocations, blocks of hostels and residential quarters for the caregivers and other components like clinic and mosque.
He said the foundation had already secured six plots of land where the centre would be situated.
He said the proposed centre was to ease enormous tasks and challenges being shouldered by the foundation.
He commended the staff and leadership of The Herald for always promoting the cause of Islam through the reportage of various Islamic oriented events during and after Ramadan.
Architect Alege solicited the intervention of the corporation in the areas of fund, direct sponsorship/free education at all levels, donation of vocational equipment and materials, donation of books and other educational materials, free health and medical services and coverage of the foundation’s activities among others.
He said the week-long activities was to sensitise and enlighten the public particularly well meaning individuals on the need to always extend their benevolence hands to the needy and the less-privileged especially the windows and orphans in their custody.
He added that the programme was designed to generate funds to run the foundation because the response from members of public the upkeepof orphans was very low despite enormous responsibilities on the foundation’s neck.
Responding, the General Manager of The Herald Newspapers, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Adebayo commended the foundation for humanitarian services which he described as very rewarding in this life and the hereafter.
Represented by the Corporation Secretary, Alhaji Yahaya Mohammed, the general manager urged the foundation not to be discouraged by any challenges it might be facing in the course of ensuring the well-being of orphans and assured him of the corporation’s support when thevneed arises.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Council Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Comrade Abiodun Abdulkareem has called on Government including well meaning Nigerians to join hands with the ‘Islamic Orphanage Foundation’ in its efforts at ensuring the well-being of the less-privileged especially widows and orphans.
Comrade Abdulkareem made the call on Wednesday (March 28, 2018) while receiving executive members of the foundation on a courtesy visit in preparation for the foundation’s sensitization week.
Comrade Abdulkareem noted that the foundation’s selfless service and commitment to the welfare of the less-privileged especially widows and orphans requires the support of all and sundry.
According to him, “we are in heartless society where no one cares for the welfare of others. But if someone is sacrificing his comfort for the welfare of well-being of others especially widows and orphans, the person needs to be commended and supported.
“Prophet Muhammad has instructed us to love our neighbours as ourselves. This Prophetic instruction has been the hallmark of this foundation. I want to pray God to reward you all in multiple in this life and in the hereafter”.
He advocated the inclusion of NUJ representatives among the members of the foundation as a way of giving adequate publicity to activities of the foundation.
In his remark, the chairman of the foundation, Architect Seafullahi Alege said the visit was part of the preparation for the foundation’s week.
He said the week-long activities was to sensitise and enlighten the public particularly well meaning individuals on the need to always extend their benevolence hands to the needy and the less-privileged especially the widows and orphans under the care of his foundation.
He said the week-long activities was designed to generate funds to run the foundation because the response from members of public for the upkeep and general well being of the orphans was very low.
He described journalists as a formidable stakeholders of the foundation and solicited the support of members of the union towards promoting the activities of the foundation and other interventions aimed at ensuring the well-being of orphans.
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