Itsekiri Diaspora group raises funds to support orphaned children in Sapele, and Warri, Nigeria

Members of a Diaspora socio-cultural group, Oma Iwere Itsekiri Organization, Inc, New York/New Jersey, on Saturday, July 27, 2024, brought together family members, friends, relations, and associates, for their Summer Fundraising event at the Holiday Inn, Newark Airport, New Jersey, United States of America (USA).

Besides the need to come together to celebrate their rich culture and fraternize with each other, the gorgeously dressed men, women and some of their children also came together for a worthy course, as the theme of their program proclaimed.

They rallied under the theme: “Caring Hearts, Helping Hands, Every Child Counts” to raise funds to support children in three orphanages in their place of birth, Sapele and Warri in Delta State, Nigeria.

According to the President of the Organization, Mr. Mogbeyi Mewe Pirah, the affected children, “through no fault of theirs, live without the warmth, love, and protection of their parents…. live a life where the next meal is not guaranteed, water is a luxury, and learning to read and write is a hope, and dream.”

He said the children may feel as if they have been abandoned by society, but that their members refuse to abandon them, hence their decision to come together to give them a fighting chance by their decision to support the identified homes – Testimony Orphanage Home, Sapele, Potter’s House Orphanage Home, and Eagle Hand Orphanage Home in Warri.

Pirah said that the needs of the children in the homes were clearly beyond the limited resources of the operators of the homes, and that “there are no formal local, state, or national structures by which orphanages in Nigeria receive public or private support for the care and well-being of the children in their custody,” hence the need for the helping hands being offered by the Oma Iwere Itsekiri Organization and their friends and associates.

Against the background of singing and dancing, and other forms of merry making, the wonderful people who gathered that Saturday night (some flew in from different parts of the US), dedicated themselves towards achieving the sacred task of raising funds to help the helpless in their place of birth many, many miles away from where they reside.

They made it clear that the donations they are receiving are tax deductible, through their 501 (c) (3) non-profit Oma Iwere Itsekiri Development Fund Corp. Those who were not able to be at the memorable event, however, still have the opportunity to be part of the charitable gesture by sending in their donations through Zelle to: Oma Iwere Itsekiri Dev. Fund Corp via [email protected] or by checks made out to Oma Iwere Itsekiri Development Fund Corp.

More information about the organization can be accessed at: https://omaiwereitsekirinynj.org/.

Here are pictures of some of the personalities that graced the high profile program.