It is not child’s play joining missionary work with taking care of the physically challenged and abandoned children. Indeed, it takes the grace of God to successfully combine the two areas of human life.
One of those who dedicated their lives to do such charitable work is Rev Fr Anthony Ananwa of the Nnewi Catholic Diocese.
As he came back from Australia some years back where he went for further studies, after his ordination, the priest decided to set up Jesus Abandoned Charity Organization where he is currently feeding and taking care of a good number of the physically challenged and those abandoned by their parents or relations.
At the home in Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ananwa disclosed that the little savings he made while studying in Australia had been sunk into the home for feeding and housing the inmates which were over 100 in number, as well as running a primary school.
He said despite that it gladdened his heart anytime he was in the midst of the inmates, just like it gladdens a father or mother staying in the midst of his or her own children, adding that with celibacy forbidding Catholic priests from marrying wives and bearing children, he now saw the home as having afforded him the opportunity to beget children.
He said he had been battling relentlessly to keep the home going, adding that urgent help was needed from groups and individuals to keep it running, “otherwise, the home stands the risk of being closed as the cost of maintenance keeps escalating.”
He, therefore, made a passionate appeal to good-spirited individuals and corporate bodies to respond to their needs.
Ananwa said he started some charity organizations as a Seminarian and after ordination, he went to Australia to further his education and while in Australia, he had the opportunity of starting the Jesus Abandoned Charity Home and to the glory of God, he raised a duplex, a bungalow, school and borehole and still struggling to survive.
The priest said the name Jesus Abandoned Home was derived from a home where all children abandoned by their parents and the physically challenged were assembled for rehabilitation and caring, adding that some people were being abandoned by their parents due to one problem or the other:
“Some parents do abandon their children due to one physical challenge or the other. Because they are abandoned, we need some people that can take care of them. And remember Jesus cried on the cross of Calvary; ‘My God, my God why has thou forsaken me.’ So, Jesus Christ was also abandoned on the cross.”
He said that when someone abandoned a child of God, he had abandoned Jesus. According to him, Jesus said: “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting my children?” Quoting Matthew 25:32 he said: “I was hungry you gave me food, I was thirsty, you gave me water,” so, when you feed these children you feed Jesus, when you abandon them, you abandon Jesus. That is why we say: Jesus Abandoned.
“It is to see how we can rectify the way physically challenged people are being treated in Nigeria, because people don’t regard them as human beings. People regard them as outcasts. But they are human beings like us. God after creation said everything He created was good. I believe they are human beings and we need people that can show them that God is love. We are trying to help with the little we have.”
On the major challenges confronting his home, he stated: “Just to mention but a few. We have sunk a borehole and erected structures. We feed these brothers and sisters of ours three times every day. Apart from the feeding, we have medical challenges. The other day, we went to Hon. Emeka Anohu, member representing this constituency in the state House of Assembly for medical treatment. Also, we are giving them free treatment through Cameroonian doctors.
“We equally give them education that is why it is a rehabilitation home. We also give them accommodation and all these take money. We give them a lot of things like: wheel chairs, walking frame, crutches, and clothings free. All the things in that container recently brought from Australia are distributed free of charge to them. The other day, I went to Abuja and distributed 20 wheel chairs. The other day, at Kings Palace Hotel, Nnewi, I distributed 30 wheel chairs together with Rotary Club of Nnewi.”
Ananwa identified their major needs as accommodation, saying that the compound currently housing the home was too small even as the numbers of people being taken care of was increasing.
“We have somebody like Kosara that is deaf and dumb and some others that are abandoned. We need more accommodation to accommodate more. We need to raise buildings and mobility like a bus. The other day I was taking them to Hon. Emeka Anohu for medical treatment and I was carrying them on the back of a pickup van under the sun and somebody was querying as he saw how the sun was beating them while so many people were going on Hummer bus and luxury cars.
“We are still expecting a bus from Anambra State government to assist in our transport needs. We are equally appealing to corporate bodies and individuals to help us financially, materially and otherwise, and God will surely bless all our donors because we pray for them on daily basis.”
He also identified poor power supply as one of their problems, adding that “the electricity we have here is very low. I use fuel and generator to pump water, because you can’t run this type of home without water. The electricity is poor and the fund is not there. To feed them on a daily basis is a problem, but God is actually assisting us. So, I appeal to all to support what we are doing.”
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