Blessing Jibuike: Bringing succour to the needy

Blessing Jibuike is the President of faith based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Support Missionary Aid International (SUMA). Her passion for helping the less privilege has earned her respect and titles. In this interview with ENE OSHABA she speaks on her charitable works, what drives her among others.

Her passion

Support Missionary Aid International (SUMA), afaith based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) is known for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and extending the gesture by providing the basic needs for the less privilege such as orphans, widows, physically challenged, and single mothers by distributing food items, clothes, shoes and also meet other health needs through free medical outreaches.

The vision and mission of SUMA, the President Blessing Jibuike said had led her to remote and isolated Snake Island located on the Apapa axis of Lagos years ago.

Recalling projects by her organisation during the recent commissioning of boreholes in Agala Ajebo area of Lagos state, Jibuike noted that she got to know about the Snake Island through Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Lagos State, Apostle Enyinaya Okwuonu, who encouraged Christians to always help the needy.

According to her, the Snake Island which was in the heart of Lagos was neglected and underdeveloped, hence she sent her team for fact finding visit to know the needs of the people.

“This led to our first missionary journey which lasted for three days to the Snake Island where we provided them with food items, clothes, shoes, and other basic needs.

Seeing that the people lacked lots of basic needs she led the team on a second missionary journey bringing other ministers from the United States of America, South Africa, Ghana and other countries to the community. Following the visit lots of amenities were made available including free medical outreach that provided eye tests, free glasses and medication as well as other health needs of the aged, disabled and single mothers.

Agala Ajebo experience

Residents of Agala Ajebo in Etiosa Local Government Area (LGA) Itomaro-Osiniwo Island in Lagos state were all happy when their community was located for similar gesture by SUMA.

Agala Ajebo, a serene community on the outskirts of Lagos has been in existence for many years but unfortunately lacked lots of basic amenities that could make life easy and enjoyable.

One major challenge in the community was the lack of portable drinking water with the people drinking from the untreated muddy water in the area. This has contributed to great health challenges for its residents.

Succour came for them when Jibuike heard about the community during one of its outreach programmes during the Covid-19 lockdown and she decided to take it upon herself to provide water for the community.

The fulfilment that came from the Snake Island programme made the team search for more communities in dire need especially during the Covid-19 lockdown hence their attention was drawn to another remote island called Agara.

According to one of the team members Nnenne Onyejegbu, the Agala Ajebo Island had its myriad of basic amenities challenge which they couldn’t ignore.

“We prepared and visited the Agala Ajebo Island with food items, clothes, shoes. While distributing these items we discovered that there was serious need in the community for portable water. The kind of water used in the community for cooking and drinking was like mud.

“The water was so bad and unfit for human consumption and this moved us to provide water for them,” she explained.

On September 27, 2021, the promise to provide portable water for residents of Agala Ajebo Island was fulfilled with a borehole being sank in the community with four tap heads to enable more people fetch water easily as well as two water tanks which would serve as reservoir.

Speaking during the inauguration of the project, SUMA president assured the organisation would continue to expand around the globe with their labour of sacrifice, love and selfless service to humanity particularly to the less privilege in the society.

Other projects

Other projects of the NGO includes providing homes for abandoned children, enrolling them in schools, even some of the children enrolled in school are presently in their final year in tertiary institutions while others are in different institutions of learning across the country.

As part of its medical outreach in Kafanchan, a town located in Southern Kaduna, had received SUMA as its medical team carried out free medical tests for residents of the community and gave free optical glasses to those who needed them, including relief packages of clothing and food item to families present during the outreach.

In recognition of her contributions, the Plateau state Deputy Governor, Dame Pauline Tallen, now

Minister of Women Affairs, had honoured her for prompt rescue and medical attention to children found on location after about 300 people were killed during a crises.

She had also promptly responded to the plight of School for the Blind, Afaranta Umuahia, Abia state, on the issue of water supply.

The school’s only source of water was a small stream hence the NGO donated a pumping machine to facilitate easier and safer process of getting water. The ministry of education was fully involved during the donation.

Beneficiaries laud gesture

The Leader of Agala Ajebo Community, Chief Baale Saheed, expressed gratitude that the community was recognised and provided with portable water.

He said they have been in need for clean water for a long time, just as he stated that the project would encourage other well meaning citizens to come up with such ideas to develop other citizens and their communities.

“I am delighted and extremely grateful that SUMA is formally opening a landmark project , the first of its kind in Ajala community.

“The importance of having this borehole cannot be overemphasized as water is the only way of survival for human beings. People can develop other ideas and experience of others to develop communities faster,” he said.

“Ajala is a land where you can rest and enjoy the beauty of natural breeze, calmness, it has serene atmosphere for holidays and recreation and a desired place for those tired of the hustle and bustle of the heavy traffic, unhealthy smoke of Lagos megacity.

“It is a place a place for those who need isolation to research or meditate on something good. It is a place of zero tolerance for criminals,” the leader said