Christmas: Mrs Soludo fetes children from 33 Anambra orphanages

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Some of the orphans during the party at Government house, Awka

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By Madu Obi

The wife of the governor of Anambra State, Mrs Nonye Soludo has hosted children from 33 orphanage homes in Anambra State for a Christmas party.

The event, which took place at the banquet hall of the Government House, Awka, was part of her resolve to put smiles on the faces of the children.

In the past, Mrs Soludo used to visit them in their various orphanages, but decided to host them this year at the seat of government to make a difference.

Mrs. Soludo, while thanking those in charge of the various homes, called on them to always give the adolescent ones among them listening ears whenever they approach them, especially on issues concerning their bodies and development.

According to her, it has become very pertinent for children, especially female adolescents, to be open and express themselves to their parents, caregivers, and guardians on issues relating to changes in their bodies and interactions with the opposite sex.

The governor's wife took out time to have one-on-one interactions with the teenagers among the orphans, apparently to encourage them to feel free and open up whenever the need arose.

She also called on members of the public to regularly visit children in orphanage homes to show them love and care, adding that the inmates of the homes would surely appreciate such visits, especially as most of them do not have families to cater for them.

"These children depend on the kindness of others and I encourage everybody to visit them from time to time.

"I have been visiting them, and I always want to put smiles on their faces. For this Christmas, I needed to give them a sense of belonging, which was why I invited all of them to the Government House to celebrate with them", she said.

Mrs Soludo said that she derives joy from making the children happy and ensuring they have fun, reminding Nigerians that part of the Christmas celebration is to extend the spirit of the season of love to everyone, irrespective of their background in society.

The governor's wife stated that the state government is paying special attention to the welfare of the children, adding that all of them are currently in school under the state government’s free education programme.

“The state government is doing well in ensuring that they are raised in a responsible manner. Honestly, the government is always helping. We should all remember them, visit them, and offer one form of help or another,” she stated.

To the children, Mrs Soludo urged them to always open up and discuss any issue they may have with their caregivers.

“Please, open up and discuss with those managing you about anything you want. Even if it means calling me to discuss with you", she told the children.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo, thanked the wife of the governor for caring for the children.

According to Obinabo, Governor Soludo and his wife have remained at the forefront of promoting the Child’s Rights Law, which seeks to ensure that children are protected at all times, regardless of their background.

The excited children presented Christmas carols/renditions and entertained guests.