Global Health and Indigent Care Foundation (GHICF), a United States of America based organisation, has for the second time in as many years distributed rice as food relief to nearly 4,500 households in Ayetoro-Gbede and Igbaruku communities in Kogi State.
The Foundation has executed heath and food relief outreaches in these localities over a cumulative period of four years.
The programme was tagged ‘Christmas Food Relief’.
Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Dr Sam Oloyo, speaking on behalf of himself, his wife and his Foundation, in a message to the communities, explained that he was concerned to provide the food intervention to cushion the manifested effects of food shortages inflicted by perennial conflicts between the farming communities and alien invaders generally described as herdsmen, who have in the last few years displaced farmers and destroyed several farmlands in the area.
His message was delivered at Ayetoro Gbede at the weekend by Mr Oladele Oyelola, former Executive Director of First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, and President of Ayetoro Gbede Global Network, a development initiative association of Ayetoro-Gbede natives, that has collaborated with Foundations like the GHICF and other indigenes to inject quantum interventions in human and material elements in the community.
As an adjunct to the message, Oyelola described the Oloyos and their Foundation as compassionate, considerate and concerned humanitarians, who from the comfort zones of their environment still spared thoughts for their folks in the hinterlands.
Recalling the two medical outreaches and the post-covid-19 food relief programme carried out earlier by the Oloyos, Oba David Ehindero, the Olu of Ayetoro-Gbede conveyed the collective gratitude and prayers of the entire community to the donors.
He described their actions as indelible scripts in the minds of the people.
Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the community described the donors as acting in the way of Jesus Christ by feeding a multitude. He prayed for continuous provisions to sustain the programme.
Beneficiaries expressed their joy and gratitude, describing the gesture as timely and thoughtful. Their excitement was bolstered by the assurances of Dr Oloyo who let out that he looked forward to doing more for the indigent and the needy, acting on the lofty philosophy that his family and Foundation have been blessed to be a blessing to others.
Observers commended the Local Organising Committee for developing a distribution template that promoted inclusiveness and minimised chances of deprivation and denial against the intended beneficiaries.
