A total of 30 secondary school students from various schools across Bauchi State have had their school fees for the current academic session paid by a non-governmental organisation, the Radiant Care Foundation.
The NGO also distributed starter packs for various skills and trades, including sewing machines, shoe-making machines, grinding machines, and equipment for bean cake and soya bean production.
The items were distributed on Sunday during the official unveiling of the foundation, which was established in memory of the late Dcns Abigail Bosede Bello, who died 20 years ago.
The items distributed included two sewing machines, four grinding machines, three shoe-making machines, and three business support packs, in addition to the payment of tuition fees for 30 less-privileged students.
The Executive Director of the foundation, Comfort Bello-Aliyu, revealed that the organisation was established to give back to society in honour of her late mother, Mrs Abigail Bosede Bello.
Bello-Aliyu further explained that, having acknowledged the selfless life lived by their late mother, who accommodated and supported many less-privileged people in her communities in Kogi and Bauchi states, the family established the foundation to continue her charitable legacy.
She said, ‘I am celebrating a woman who lived a compassionate life. She lived for people and was a God-fearing woman who taught me, especially, how to pray and how to live an exemplary life after Christ. My mother, as I said, was not wealthy, but she shared the little she had with others.
‘If you came to our house then, although my parents had seven children, we had almost 22 people living with us, both in the main apartment and the boys’ quarters. She loved bringing people around her, training them, and encouraging hardworking individuals because she was never lazy.’
She added, ‘You can see it in me; I took after her. When she was alive, we visited hospitals together to care for the sick. In my church, whenever a woman gave birth, she was always among the first to help care for her.
‘There was a time while we were growing up when my father’s house became like a mini guest house for pastors from all over Nigeria. Whenever they came to Bauchi, the master bedroom where my father stayed was given to them, and she took excellent care of them. She taught us to love God and to be forgiving. In fact, if my mother knew she had offended someone, she would not be able to sleep until she sought forgiveness.’
‘And she never liked to see people in distress. She always made sure she helped to resolve their worries. One thing I remember about her is waking us up every morning, gathering her children together, and praying,’ she added.
According to her, ‘One experience I can never forget was when I gave birth to my first child. He became ill and we were admitted to JUTH in Jos. You know how cold Jos can be. My mother came from the village and stayed with us. She would sit and sleep on the floor. I kept asking her to sleep on the bed while I stayed outside, but she refused.
‘There was even a time when a nurse came and said that if she was not the patient’s mother, she should leave. She still remained there. For more than 14 days, she slept on the floor. I can never forget that.’
Bello-Aliyu added, ‘The name of the organisation is the Radiant Care Foundation. For many years, we have been carrying out corporate social responsibility initiatives in her name, but today we are formally unveiling the foundation.
‘We have organised medical outreaches, visited correctional centres, and assisted inmates who only needed small amounts of money, such as N10,000 or N20,000, to secure their release. These are some of the things we have been doing in her honour.
‘We have also visited teaching hospitals several times to offset patients’ medical bills. Today, we are officially unveiling the Radiant Care Foundation, which is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, while also empowering beneficiaries in her name.’
She stated that the foundation had continued to provide business support, medical outreach services, and empowerment programmes.
‘Some hospitals will benefit from our support today. We are also empowering widows by providing grants in the form of grinding machines and sewing machines. In addition, some young people who have learnt shoe-making are receiving shoe-making machines.
‘In total, we have 31 beneficiaries in the educational category, four under business support, and six under empowerment support for widows and other vulnerable persons.’
The beneficiaries of the starter packs were mostly widows. Other beneficiaries included individuals trained by the Kairos Initiative in shoe-making, tailoring, and other vocational skills.
The Team Lead of the foundation, Comfort Bello-Aliyu, said the organisation had reached thousands of beneficiaries through its interventions in healthcare, education, and empowerment.
‘Last year, we were at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), assisting patients across various wards.
‘We have also conducted medical outreaches at the community level to screen and treat many people. We have been doing these in honour of our late mother,’ she said.
The launch and the 20th remembrance anniversary were attended by prominent clerics, including the Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Promise Nuhu Yohanna, who delivered a short exhortation urging well-to-do individuals in society to embrace philanthropy and give back to their communities.