When Charity gave persons with disability succour, joy in Ebonyi

EGWUAGHA AMARACHUKWU in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, narrates how a worship center- “Power For Change” Interdenominational Worship Center, touched the lives of over 1,000 Persons With Disability as well as the downtrodden in the state, last week, with its empowerment programme
When the blessing of God is coming a man’s way it usually seems like a dream.
Eleagada’s peculiar blessing This was exactly the case of Ifeoma Eleagada, a blind mother of three from Ngbo community, in Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi state.
This peculiar blessing from God on this particular day has changed her story and status.
You may describe her case as unique.
This poor woman has been begging for over seven years in the popular Abakpa Main Market in Abakaliki.
And out of the alms that the blind woman receives from kind hearted residents she feeds her kids and shoulders other responsibilities.
On that fateful Friday, when the heaven decided to smile at her alongside other physically challenged and downtrodden in the society, she was invited by a Christian brethren who worships with the Power House Ministry, an Interdenominational worship centre at Mile 50, Abakaliki for a programme organized to empower the less privileged and indigent.
The mother of three who initially turned down the offer but was convinced on a second thought after receiving a second invitation by another church member answered the call and went for the programme with her children.
Trigger of joy and relief As she was called out for special alms her condition of life changed almost immediately as she got a package that triggered her joy and relief.
She was married as a second wife of her husband and became blind after the marriage.
she had to quit the marriage and took to street begging to keep body and soul together.
With this gesture not only did the pains and sorrow of her family ended but that of over 1,000 street beggars, physically challenged and other downtrodden in Ebonyi state who received similar succour from Power For Change.
At the end programme, they were well fed and given fat envelopes that contained money for their empowerment.
Elation, confession, praises and gratitude Beaming with Ifeoma said: “We are regarded as nothing, we are rejected by the society because of our conditions but today, we have been treated specially by this church.
“I am very glad, I have never seen this type of gesture since I was born.
I am a beggar with my three children and I am not married.
I pray God to bless this church and the founder.
I am begging at Abakakpa Main Market Abakaliki.
I have been begging for the past seven years.
“I married to a married man and I repented and separated from him because it is against the word of God.
I resolved that I will not continue in marriage with a married man, instead I will stay on my own and be begging and I have been begging and feeding my three children.
“I was not born blind.
I got blind when I got married to that married man.
Now I have repented, I have vowed that I will not marry the man again and nothing will make me to marry him again”.
As for another street bagger, Francis Nwankwo, the international worship centre’s gesture is impactful as well as life-changing.
He said that he has not been treated the way he was treated by the interdenominational worship centre.
Hear Nwankwo who is from Awkuzu, Anambra state: “It is only today(That Friday) that I have seen this type of thing in my life.
I pray God to bless this centre.
We are regarded as less privileged in the society, we are suffering because no one cares for us.
Some of us have died of hunger and sickness.
We have suffered a lot in this world but today, we have been given a sense of belonging, we have been treated very well”.
Challenge for well-to-do Earlier, founder and President of the Power House Assembly, Ambassador Ephraim Ononye, said he was moved into the gesture by the plight of the beneficiaries.
He regretted that well- to- do individuals in our society have neglected the less- privileged and urged them to use their resources to better the loss of the down trodden instead of wasting them on earthly things.
He told the less privileged during the event in Abakaliki not to lose hope as according to them God was still remembering them.
“It is not every alm that we render that we publicize.
Last Sunday, so many came people into this church empty and left with N10,000 each and we didn’t take it to newsmen.
But we take this one to the news to move the hand of the well to do people in the society to begin to think about how to help the down trodden, people who are living with disabilities.
“I also want to move the hand of churches and pastors.
We collect tithes and offerings from our congregations, we get richer by the day, we get mansions.
What about the less privileged in the society who are the people God expected us to take care of as churches and ministers, pastors and prophets.
“Let those people that calls themselves rich men also think of how to assist the less privileged, those who are living with disabilities and the down trodden in the society not just building mansions, ridding expensive cars and spending money extravagantly.
This is where we should spend our money”.
He said.