By Ahaoma Kanu

Akwa Ibom “Child Witches”: NVS Members Reach Out To CRARN

On the 24^th day of December 2008, the Nigeria Village Square reached out to the children and staff of the Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) with love, support and a promise to commit to making things better for them in the coming year.

The children, who celebrated their Christmas party on the previous day, were assembled at the centre’s Boy’s hostel corner and addressed by the NVS representative, Mr. Ahaoma Kanu.

The children numbering over 160 were given NVS T-shirts. Also donated to the centre were foodstuffs like bags of rice, salt, custard, spaghetti, canned tomatoes and seasoning as well as candies and biscuits for their Christmas celebration.

The children were full of appreciation for the kind gesture made by NVS and wished every villager a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Ahaoma Kanu’s Speech on behalf of The Nigeria Village Square.

 I welcome you all today, the eve of Christmas and I know that you all enjoyed yourselves during your party yesterday. I am here because some group of people that loves you so much wants to share some love with you this Christmas season and they are from the Nigeria Village Square.

 The Nigeria Village Square (NVS) is made up of Nigerians and friends of Nigeria both at home and abroad, I represent them and they are a group of people that believe in love, care and reaching out to other Nigerians and people in need and they come together to support projects like this; we believe in what CRARN is doing here and want to be part of you.

 The documentary broadcasted by Channel 4 TV station in the United Kingdom ahad a ripple effect on Nigerians and people of other nationalities that they came together to try and help in whichever way they can; you had a party yesterday that some people sponsored from the U.K, that is part of the resolve to help and NVS wants to use this opportunity to take a step to show support what Sam is doing; we support what Pa Udoh is doing, likewise Esieme, Christiana and the whole CRARN family.

 The myth that some of you are “witches and wizard” is a total fallacy that should be discarded by any right thinking human being; don’t believe it because we don’t hold their many false prophesies true. We believe that we have responsible children with a bright future here and I believe and will predict here that I am standing in the midst of future leaders of this country; people that will run the affairs of this state, I am standing in the midst of commissioners-to-be; I am standing in the midst of medical doctors, lawyers, professors and I believe that all of you will become what you desire to be in Jesus Name (Chorus: Amen)

We will like to use this opportunity to thank the Stepping Stones Nigeria, the organisation that brought this matter to the open, we say Thank you for helping these children and may God replenish and reward you, Gary Foxcroft on what you have done so far.

 I have an advice for the children in the centre, “Never Stop believing in your power to achieve that which you desire to be in life.” On November 4th, 2008 , history was made in the United States of America (U.S.A) where a young man called Barack Obama, born of a Kenyan father and an American mother, became the President-elect of the U.S. He had the can-do spirit and I want all of you to have that also, believe in yourself no matter the situation and circumstance; always say I CAN. Obama’s achievement was expected but not so soon but today, come January 20th 2009, he will be sworn in, you also can be sworn in as a doctor, called to bar as a lawyer and fly in the sky as a pilot; YES, YOU CAN. I believe that we have a Barack Obama in our midst that will achieve greatness against all odds.

 For the CRARN staff, we want to encourage you for what you are doing; yes, we know that your take home pay may not be anything to write home about at this time but we are optimistic that it will get better and you will reap the fruits of your hard labour.

 I will like at this point to make a little presentation to make, we have some foodstuff for you to use for the Christmas courtesy of members of the Nigerian Village Square . Also we have a token donation to demonstrate our love and appreciation of you. I will like to hand over to Mr. Sam Ituama, the president of CRARN, a cheque of N150 000. It may be small but little is much when it is given with love.

 On behalf of the NVS , I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

 Thank You all and we love you.

ILORIN: MOTHERLESS BABIES HOME

It was five days to Christmas but the kids at the Children Reception Centre at Gaa-Akambi area in Ilorin, Kwara State had more than three kings for Christmas courtesy of the Nigeria Village Square (NVS) family. They had fun which lasted from the minute the MC declared the event open to the time that Ebi Bozimo popularly called Eezeebee said the closing prayers. They danced with happiness and gratitude that, though they were motherless babies, they still had people hundreds of miles away that still had them in their hearts and made out time and resources to make what would have being an ordinary day for them a special one, and they were filled with the kind of joy that comes with Christmas. They were recipients of gifts for Christmas only this time, Santa Claus came disguised; their Father Christmas came with love from the NVS Family.

As the crew representing NVS from Lagos State made up of Eezeebee, Okenikpoto and Vanilla arrived, Anike (NVS- U.S.A) again showed why she got the nomination of being the perfect hostess as she had everything in place. The small hall was decorated and ready for a gig that would have lasting colours in the young and maturing minds of the children.

Adoring the arena were cute children proudly wearing their white NVS customized family T-shirts with smiles on their faces. Though the banner hung on the wall announced the ongoing activity, the action(s) on the floor needed no telling that the party was just getting started.

The MC who simply calls himself Jide (Jide Bamgbala), took the audience through series of excitement when he started off by telling Christmas stories, jokes and occasionally asked the children to recite a Christmas song. His rib-cracking jokes became a weapon of audience participation and one of the popular he threw during the event of Angel Fatai became the joker of the day and impacted so much laughter on the kids.

The next activity showcased a 9-Children group that did a choreography presentation of the popular gospel, Igwe, in a way that would no doubt make members of the Mid Night Crew turn green with envy. The group exhibited an organised reflex, a creative display of dance steps that made the crowd applaud them before their presentation came to an end; the children called for a repeat performance but Jide the MC was adhered strictly to the program.

Next up was a dance drama presentation entitled Oruko N’la or the Great Name, and it hijacked both the children and the adult audience with a breathtaking suspense. Oruko N’la, according to a cast member, teaches the kids to put their trust in God no matter the situation they find themselves in. It dramatically tells the story of man and his travails when the Angel of death informs him that his life would be taken away from him on a certain day. The horrific news took Man to many people in search of help to salvage his soul from death; he went to a Baba who promised much but delivered little; a professor who summed up his theories that never worked in a practical world; a traditional doctor that scrammed when the Angel of death paid him a warning visit as well as many other sources that could not be of any help until Man made it to a Godly source that brought salvation through Jesus Christ.

If the Choreography was great, then the drama deserves an Oscar; the kids showed an excellent delivery in theatre performance and proved the talent imbedded in them. Oruko N’la was hilarious, suspense-filled, thrilling, educative, entertaining and attracted a barrage of applause from the audience.

When the MC announced it was time to check out who had the best dance step in a dancing competition that attracted gifts, the children took over the stage ad showed Villagers like Eezeebee and Okenikpoto that whatever dance style they wanted to show off was old school; they danced Gongo Aso like Collin Powell, showed D’Banj reasons he should visit the centre to recruit dancers for his coming Fall In Love music video and extinguished Asa’s fear of Fire On The Mountain with electrifying movements delivered with a confidence that was inspiring.

For close to 30 minutes it was dance, dance and more dance for the over 40 children present at the party; they danced, laughed and rocked in an atmosphere of fun that pushed some adults to shed tears (names withheld). According to Eezeebee, the dancing time was his high moment during the party.

“When they were dancing, I saw every child get up and compete for small prizes. I am a music person and the children were dancing their hardest to Nigerian music, that told me that Nigeria is on the rise again in the eyes of our children,” he said.

After dancing, Anike came in majestically to replenish the energy the children used in break dancing; food and drinks were served and every child ate to his or her fill.

While the children were still guessing what Jide the MC had up his sleeve for them, it was time to cut the cake. The cake which looked beautifully and tastily baked with the NVS logo and slogan colourfully displayed, harassed the eyes and caused a sensation in the mouths of many to have a taste of the NVS love ASAP. It was cut to the name of the popular angel for the moment: Angel Fatai.

As the cake was carefully cut by Anike and cheerfully served by Vanilla to the children, Eezeebee had a swell time learning some new dance steps from the kids as more music and dancing continued.

When the MC called on Eezeebee to say the closing prayers, most the children had tears in their eyes; they didn’t want their excitement to stop. The question on the minds of many of them was when will NVS host them to another party? There was no doubt; the children had a nice time.

Benjamin, an eight year old boy, had a nice time dancing. “I loved the food and the T-shirt and I had fun”

Joy Akin, twelve, felt happy about everything that happened at the party that she wished it would not end. “I don’t you [NVS] to go. I wish [NVS] will do more parties for us. I thank you for today and I will always treasure today,” she said. 

For six year old Damilola, he wants to become a member of www.nigeriavillagesquare.com.

For NVS representatives like Eezeebee who left his busy schedule to spend time with the children at the centre, it was worthwhile.

“On a personal level, I truly have an emotional connection children and a strong sense of interest. Through no fault of theirs, many of these kids are in circumstances that are not ideal so when NVS decided to come together and do a party for underprivileged kids, I put my money and time where my mouth is. I had to be here and I have no regrets. It was really amazing to see the happiness with which children participated in all the activities; they were dancing, they were singing and were laughing. I don’t think anything can simply capture how wonderful it felt to actually be part of this in the smallest of ways. I know it is the first of many and encourage us to do something, no matter how small, to put a put a smile on the face of a child,” said Eezeebee.

Anike was all smiles and thanked Villagers for making the party happen. “ I must say a big thank you to all the Villagers especially Big-K, Atomic Kitten, Ayomide and others that made this party happen,” she said. “It was fun, real fun.”

Hajia Maiyaki, who is the Head Mistress/Caretaker of the centre, was full of gratitude to NVS for the party. “I want to show my show my appreciation for what you have done today, I am very impressed and pray that the Almighty Allah bless and guide all of you. Today is special day we will not forget.” She followed this up with a very lengthy prayer-filled text message the following day to show her gratitude

Gift Items (2 bags of Rice, ½ a bag of Beans, 1 bag of Semovita, Garri, a keg of vegetable oil and bags of Diapers) were later presented to the centre. They were promised that the NVS family will endeavor to continually offer their assistance to affecting the lives of ordinary Nigerian endeavor positively.

Robot  # 1 | 06.01.2009 02:49

By Ahaoma Kanu In December 2008, the members of the Nigeria Village Square reached out to the motherless children in Ilorin, Kwara State (Christmas party) and to the Children branded "witches" at the Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) in Akwa Ibom (with a donation of cash and materials). Ahaoma Kanu was at both events and here is his story and pictures....Read the full article.

Odinaka  # 2 | 06.01.2009 03:14

Good works NVS. Putting smiles on the face of kids and less privileged ones is a noble venture. I feel bad for not having been part of some of these outreaches in recent times but I hope to find my footings soon. Cheers

nallanah  # 3 | 06.01.2009 04:29

...very well done!! My chest swelling up with pride, we all need to continue the good work. ...wishing all villagers a very happy new year and God's blessings on you and yours.

Jucihart  # 4 | 06.01.2009 07:16

Whaoo!!! Well done NVS. What a way to end the year - touching people's lives. That was a noble venture. I am proud to be part of you guys. May God continue to use NVS to reach out to humanity. ... wishing us all a prosperous New Year.

enna inot  # 5 | 06.01.2009 07:41

NVS na we Biko!!!!!!!!!:shake: Am really proud of NVS.Who says we cant make a difference? Am glad we have been of help,small though it may seem. Okenikpoto,Eezeebee,Anike,Vanilla and all others who went to Ilorin and CRARN may God shower on you blessings until no more want. Big K,Kenn1 and every other NVSer who was part of this,May God bless you all.:hug:

chanchaga  # 6 | 06.01.2009 08:39

Some good news for a change. Millions of people ask questions about what they can do to help or how they can help in anyway but this is an example of selfless Nigerians touching peoples heart. I hope some of us, the helpless ones are learning and the billionaire ex/govt officials too are learning. Thank you members of NVS for your contributions and most especially the the members present who also scarificed their time, effort, energy and money. I am proud to be a member of this group. I will also like to use this opportunity to thank the writers who feature brillant articles on a daily basis. Regards

mayitbedone  # 7 | 06.01.2009 08:46

Very good work done villagers...those kids really deserve it and much more:) As an aside, I was wondering if the speech read out in Akwa-Ibom state was to the kids or to their minders...:wink:

emenanjo  # 8 | 06.01.2009 09:08

Congratulations to the NVS. This is what some us have been clamouring for through our articles: ACTION. We are tired of what the Hausa people call too much "turenchi" from their Southern counterparts. This is action and I like that. We all cannot be senators, governors or president, we can always contribute our quota towards the development of Nigeria through participation in other avenues. Thanks ones more to the NVS.

charles4u  # 9 | 06.01.2009 09:13

I am so happy for this, I feel bad also for not having part in this outreach but hopefully I will make my part soon. May God helps us all as we are assisting and helping people, Yes we can !!!

Kenn  # 10 | 06.01.2009 10:58

------------------ First, let me thank every NVS member for their financial and moral support for efforts like these. Obviously, there’s a lot of effort that goes into it and individual members have had to stand to be counted. On that note, I specially thank Anike, Atomic Kitten, Ayomide, Big-K and others who went flat out to see this through.It’s great to know that Eezeebee and Vanilla also made it to Ilorin. Of course, special thanks must go to Okenikpoto, the man who did most of the running around. He had to cover the NVS Children’s Party at Ilorin, the Nigerian Child Organization sponsored Christmas party for the CRARN kids at Akwa Ibom and waited an extra day to be able to do the NVS presentation to the CRARN kids as well. This is a labour of love that we all must strive to emulate. What it all means is that we can do a lot if we come together. There is a little correction I would like to make though. Okenikpoto in his address to the Children of CRARN said “you had a party yesterday that some people sponsored from the U.K”. I think that is a slip of tongue on his part. The fact is the Nigerian Child Organization (NCO), to which Okenikpoto himself belongs (and who are sponsors of the CRARN Children Christmas Party) is actually made up of Nigerians and well-wishers of Nigeria from all over the world, including Nigeria. It is important to clarify this, so that people don’t get the wrong impression. It is not a UK group; it is a worldwide organization of Nigerians and well-wishers of Nigeria dealing with children, youth development, maternal health and other related issues as they concern our country, Nigeria. As you all know, this is the group we formed from The Nigerian Child Google Group, comprising also many members of NVS. We have had discussions about this on this site in the thread below: http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/main-square/26735-horror-akwa-ibom-39.html The Nigerian Child Organization (NCO) now has a website http://www.nigerianchild.org/ . It’s a new site and work is just beginning on it in terms of content, aesthetics and other necessary stuffs. But when fully functional, it will serve as the media outlet for the work of the Nigerian Child Organization (NCO). Presently, our first project is CRARN and the Christmas party was just a short-term project. There are several other things we are doing, details of which are in our Project document (The Nigerian Stigmatized Children Reclamation Project) which can be seen on the thread above. Indeed, discussion is ongoing amongst members as per what specific thing we do next for the CRARN children, because, frankly, their needs are many. That is why we are always asking for more of you to join us there to put heads together and contribute what we can to make things better for them. If you are interested, please follow the link below and go register on our Google group: http://groups.google.com/group/thenigerianchild?hl=en&pli=1 Once registered, you can go on also to register on the Nigerian Child Organization’s website, the link of which I’ve equally provided above. In concluding, I thank everyone and urge you to always answer NVS’s call to service in any way you can and to contribute to programmes as much as you can as well. People must understand that it is not only money that is important, but ideas as well. Once again, I thank Okenikpoto for the reports. And by the way, he’s presently on another mercy mission in India. He went there as part of the team put together by the Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria with a 13 month old child, Victoria Ajayi whom we all must also remember in our prayers. So, once again, thank you everyone and God bless. CHEERS!

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