By Emeka Nwokocha
Foundation for Helpless Old People in Africa Sub-Region (FHOPAS), a foremost Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in providing care to aged people in Nigeria, on Friday 4 March, 2022, achieved another milestone in promoting well-being of aged people with an official opening of aged people’s home in Sedco Community, Uvwie local government area of Delta State.
In his address at the flag off ceremony of the facility, the President of FHOPAS, Engr. Collins Iyasere, described the facility as a landmark achievement and a dream come true for the organisation. He noted that the FHOPAS old people’s home would put a smile on the faces of the aged people in Uvwie, Warri South, Warri South-West, Udu, Ughelli South, Ughelli North, and other local government areas in Delta State.
Engr. Iyasere, while speaking against the backdrop of the challenges old people are confronted with in Nigeria, said, “the importance of rendering humanitarian services to cater to the need of old people in the society cannot be overemphasized.
He passionatly appealed to well meaning Deltans to support the laudable project to promote good health and longevity of the aged persons.
Continuing, Engr. Iyasere noted that aged people in our neighborhoods were burdened with huge challenges which include lack of good food, lack of comfortable homes, poor medical services, and a host of others.
He lamented, “it is alarming to note that over the years, programmes that give succour to the lives of aged people are non existent, despite the compelling needs of the aged people calling for the attention of the society. These challenges stare us in the face everyday but little or no attention is given to their needs, either by the government or individuals.”
He called for a collective effort of good spirited peesons to give little care to aged people to be able to change the ugly narratives.
“We must all come together as care givers to give aged people a helping hand to ameliorate the hardship they are entangled with everyday,” he stated.
Engr. Iyasere however, noted that few non-governmental organisations occasionally carry out projects and programmes that give support to old people in Nigeria, and other countries across Africa, stressing the need for more NGOs to give priority to the aged people’s needs to promote a better society where the less privileged are giving a new lease of life.
Continuing, Engr. Iyasere said that FHOPAS had been on the forefront of giving care to aged people in Nigeria over a decade, stating that the organisation was established on 10th February, 2011 with a mission to improve the well-being of disadvantaged aged people in urban and rural communities across Nigeria, and Africa Sub-Region, using Warri South, Uvwie, Warri South-West, and Ethiope West local government areas of Delta State as a pilot project. He stated other goals of the organisation to include: to campaign against all forms of discrimination against old helpless people; to promote healthy living among old people; to create peaceful coexistence among old helpless people; and to campaign against abandonment of old helpless people.
He called on the government of Delta State to take seriously the welfare of aged people, noting that large number of aged people are in want of food, comfortable accommodation, medication, a development he said had subjected them to perpetual poverty and lamentable condition of living, saying, “it is the rights of the aged people to live a comfortable life.”
Fielding questions from journalists, Engr. Iyasere said, ” FHOPAS has made laudable achievements since it was founded more than a decade ago. It had executed scores of projects and programmes that catered to the needs of the aged in Delta State, and looks forward to expanding its reach to every nook and cranny of Delta State in the coming years to ensure its objectives are fully met.”
Engr. Iyasere added, “presently, FHOPAS has a legion of volunteers, including dedicated partners working assidiously to make an indelible mark in humanitarian service delivery to aged people in our society.
“The FHOPAS Old People’s Home avails aged people an opportunity of living in the facility with feeding and medical treatment provided free. Other services include visiting aged people’s private homes weekly by FHOPAS care givers and assisting them in domestic chores and attending to their health needs; to provide recreation and relaxation homes for aged persons to promote a healthy living; and to provide weekly “health equity” for the aged persons across Delta State.
