By Victor Bieni, Asaba
As part of efforts to domesticate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, UN+SDGs by showing commitment to the service of humanity to help old people, aged persons through capacity building, consolidate the policies of Government at all levels ON AGED PERSONS CUM RETIREMENT SCHEME, a group under the aegis of FOUNDATION FOR HELPLESS AGED PERSONS HOME IN AFRICAN SUB-REGION, FHOPAS led by its President, Engr. Iyasere Emordi Collins, has said that FHOPAS NGO, his group will continue to effect positive socio-economic change amongst the vulnerable older persons across African Continent to promote development at the grassroots level of governance.
Engr. Iyasere made this remark pen-ultimate weekend during the group’s press conference in Asaba, Delta State capital as he disclosed to some of the outcome of his recent FHOPAS engagement of the vulnerable older persons, flag-off the building of FHOPAS’s old people’s home in Warri, Delta State.
He noted that, FHOPAS NGO has also, as part of its interventions recently embarked on capacity building for aged persons, old people in Delta State, Nigeria, that the event took place earlier this month of March, 2022 at FHOPAS NGO AGED PERSONS HOME, the group’s office Secretariat in Warri, Delta State.
FHOPAS President told newsmen that FHOPAS is a non-political, non-governmental, non-profit organization established on the 10th of February, 2011 by some dedicated men and female social workers, community farmers and philanthropists of Uvwie, Warri South, Warri North, Warri South-West, Ethiope West LGAs volunteers.
FHOPAS Volunteers primary objective(s) is to improve the life status of disadvantaged, vulnerable older persons, people in the society; giving special priorities to Women and vulnerable children in the indigenous Community of Warri, Uvwie environs, Delta State, Nigeria and entire African Sub-Regions.
FHOPAS President used that medium to commend all the dignitaries who graced the event in Warri, Delta State, which included amongst others: The spiritual father (s) of the day, HRM, Emmanuel .E. Sideso (JP) OON, The ABE I, The Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, The Chiefs, The President General, Uvwie General Improvement Union, U.G.I.U, Chief Ukwuwrere .T. Austine and his Executives, Delta State Hon Commissioner For Local Government And Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Bright Onajehwo.
Others are: The Chairman, Uvwie Market Committee, The Secretary, Women Wing, Uvwie Market Committee. The Coordinator, Old Men in Uvwie Kingdom, The Trustees and Members of Global Prison Outreach Int’l, Board Members and partners of Global Peace, Health and Development, the media and other Participants for their patience and support during the program.
Engr Iyasere Emordi Collins, a seasoned Educationist and Technologist stated that, what informed him to had gone into this thematic areas of development work as part of FHOPAS benefits; mission and vision for the society is to discourage discrimination against the vulnerable older persons, to discourage the poor attitude of abandonment of vulnerable older persons in African society.
He stated further that, FHOPAS will continue to promote healthy living amongst old helpless people, promote substainability, create peaceful co-existence among aged persons in all spheres through collaboration wherever the Foundation exist in Africa and the rest of the world.
He added that, “FHOPAS NGO has over the years built healthy relationships with her beneficiaries and is poised towards creating a healthy nation where our aged persons are proud of being called old people, aged to compete with their counterparts globally”.
He said: “As part of its interventions, FHOPAS with its volunteer, partners are currently implementing different projects such as Indigenous Old People’s Rights, Community empowerment, Pre-schooling activities; formal and non-formal education for primary school pupils, secondary school students and higher Education for undergraduates. In Agriculture, we are equally supporting them in the areas such as fish farming, Vegetable farming, and snail farming for the targeted audience to improve food security and substainability”.
“There are only few NGOs helping older people in poor countries. In constrast, there are hundreds of organizations doing great work with children. We must all move to a life course perspective in all our work. As part of our group activities and descriptions, FHOPAS is among the few organizations that look beyond ordinary and this brought about transformation of helpless old people in Africa Sub-Region”.
“We are working in line with FHOPAS’s Objectives which included amongst others are: To ensure that aged persons are at home in a comfortable family environment. To promote the well-being of the helpless old people and to ensure that enjoy blissful living. To create peaceful co-existence amongst old helpless aged persons where the foundation exist. To mobilize people against descrimination, sentiment towards old helpless persons in Nigeria and African Sub-Region”.
“FHOPAS has other objectives which included: To make sure that food Bank of helpless Old People are in a constant supply and attended to daily. To make sure that all the sick ones amongst them are properly and adequately attended to on daily basis”.
“Also, To make sure that old people spiritual life are daily inspired by the word of God, giving their lives and total service to God, and preparing them for the Journey back home faith and inspiration. To fight against racial/ethnic descrimination amongst aged persons in our FHOPAS centres. To discourage old people abandonment in our society and thereby creating mutual relationships between the person( s) with their relatives”.
“Delta State Government alone cannot do this job. There is need for organizations working in this thematic areas to complement the efforts of Governments at all levels to promote grassroots development when it comes to the area of taken good care of old helpless people in the state, Nigeria, Africa and the entire society as part of our Culture”.
“It is very clear that our African political leaders lack this good will to take up this responsibilities and initiatives of assisting the old helpless citizens. This is as a result their involvement in Socio-economic, political extortions of the masses. FHOPAS will work to fulfill its mission and vision to embark on projects that will impact positively on the lives of the old helpless people in Delta State, Nigeria and African Sub-Region”.
“Also, FHOPAS is working in collaboration with both National and international development donor agencies that have shown their interest to bring interventions, close this gap to bring positive Socio-economic change in the lives of the poor, marginalized and helpless Old people. We will work with other organizations in Delta State, Nigeria and African Sub-Region to end poverty, ensure food security, enforce the basic rights of helpless old people, Aged persons to live for their food security, condusive shelter, good medical care.