By Our Reporter
Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, in consistent fulfilment of its commitment to progressively sustain its Corporate Social Responsibility objectives and derived assistance to its operational communities and to also mark this year’s World Humanitarian Day, has donated foodstuffs and other items to Adonai Children’s Home, Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa Orphanage and Premier School, Nasarawa Children’s Home, Green Pastures Home all at its Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road project corridor, as well as to Bab-Es-Salam Home, Love Orphanage Home, Real Woman Foundation and Home in Lagos State.
World Humanitarian Day serves as a platform to raise awareness about the challenges faced by humanitarian workers and the importance of international solidarity in addressing global social crises, while also emphasizing the need to protect civilians and provide aid in conflict zones and disaster-stricken areas. According to the United Nations, the theme for the World Humanitarian Day 2023 is #NoMatterWhat. In a world beset by challenges, #NoMatterWhat speaks eloquently about the extent to which humanitarian workers go, in an often dangerous and violent world to ensure that they alleviate human suffering.
At Adonai Children’s Home, the Coordinator of the Orphanage, El Jessu Saint Mathias expressed his excitement at the donations to the Home by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc saying that, “we are very grateful to Julius Berger for this expression of love extended to us. We are all aware of the current situation of the economy and everybody knows how food has become very expensive, but God has been faithfully using people and organisations like Julius Berger to bless us.” He added that “…these donations would go a long way in alleviating the basic needs of the orphanage. We are happy that on this day of World charity we are receiving these generous and reassuring donations from Julius Berger. We thank the Management of the company for this act of kindness.”
At the Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa Orphanage and Premier School, Kaduna State, Julius Berger’s donations were also commended and gratefully acknowledged by the school management and the students. The President of the Orphanage, Hajiya Rabi Musa Saulawa, who traced the history of Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa to Nigeria’s First Republic, said it was founded in 1963. According to her, on the 1st of December 1964, Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa opened the orphanage in Kaduna with take-off property and a £500 take-off donation by the then Premier of Northern Nigeria and Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello. Hajiya Rabi said that since its founding till date, over 3,000 orphans have successfully passed through Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa Orphanage and its schools. She further stated that this was not the first time Julius Berger was making such donations for the wellbeing of the children, adding that, “this beautiful edifice you see standing tall here was made possible by Julius Berger’s corporate social responsibility action.”
Hajiya Rabi recalled that the JMA Orphanage, its office accommodation, and school buildings overtime fell into a deplorable state of dilapidation due to paucity of funds – as the institution was dependent on the donations of kind-hearted individuals and the little income that comes from the schools, which was grossly inadequate to carry out any major renovations or successfully run the institution. According to Hajiya Rabi, “ the renovation works were singlehandedly undertaken by Julius Berger as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
They renovated the whole complex and gave our school a befitting new structure.”
She assured Julius Berger that the donations would be used for the welfare of the children of the Home, adding that, “…we recognize and commend Julius Berger for all the good works they do. We are happy today that the company is here for the second time with these donations. This is such a compassionate act of kindness, and we are extremely thankful.”
The Principal of Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa Orphanage and Premier School, Helen Peter Arlek who was present during the donations also expressed her gratitude to Julius Berger for counting the orphanage as one of its recipients for this year’s day of charity. She lauded Julius Berger for all its efforts and commitments towards the wellbeing of the children, adding that, “…they have been doing wonderfully well for this orphanage. We express our profound gratitude to Julius Berger. Our children would be so happy for this donation, and I am very sure that they would have prepared truckload of prayers for the company. We pray that the company keeps growing bigger and bigger beyond human expectations. Thank You JB.”
Meanwhile, at the Nassarawa Children’s Home, Medical Avenue in Kano State, the Principal of the Orphanage, Aisha Sanu Kurawa, also expressed her profound gratitude to Julius Berger for the timely donations. “Julius Berger has touched our hearts again with these donations. This is coming at a point when we really need food items to help feed our kids. Our children are so grateful, you can tell from the happiness on their faces. Thank you very much Julius Berger. I pray that God constantly expand the company’s presence and blesses everything it sets out to do.”
At the Green Pastures Home, at Sabon Gari in Kano State, it was excitement galore, the children were extremely elated to see Julius Berger at the Orphanage. The President/Founder of the Orphanage, Chaplain Comfort Williams who was present to receive the donations could not withhold her excitement. She danced and sang praises to Julius Berger for visiting the Orphanage for the first time. She thanked Julius Berger for counting the orphanage as one of the recipients of the donation of food. She assured Julius Berger that the donations would be used for the welfare of the children of the Home, adding that, “…we recognize and commend Julius Berger for all the good works they do. We hear and read the news, and we see all the impact the company makes in our schools and communities. We are happy to have a company like Julius Berger in our society, and we are happy to have JB as part of Green Pastures Home.”
Chaplain Comfort Williams added that, “…the Home was founded on March 15, 2001, and we currently have 50 children in the Orphanage and over 30000 in the community that we reach out too both with regard to education and health issues.”
On his part, the Head of the Julius Berger Abuja-Kano Road CSR Team, Engr. Yusuf Ibrahim said that showing care and being humane to societal needs has always been the corporate culture of the company. He admonished the Founder and Management of all the Orphanages to continue to take good care of the children because as caregivers, God will always have a way to reward them richly.
In Lagos, it was also prayers and gratitude galore for the continued success and progress of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc during the week as the leading engineering construction company also embarked on donating food items to orphanages in Lagos State.
At the Bab-Es-Salam Home located inside GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, Mr. Michael Ashofor of the Julius Berger’s Corporate Communications department opened the event by saying that the essence of the exercise is to identify with the plight of the underprivileged while trying to assuage their diverse burdens. The head of the Home, Hassan Tahir thanked Julius Berger for remembering the Home and declared the orphans’ endless prayers for the company.
The Assistant Head, Nurudeen Bakare led a prayer saying, “…on behalf of the children and management, may Almighty God bless and strengthen Julius Berger Nigeria Plc for your organisation’s kind gesture.”
At the Love Orphanage Home the next day, Ashofor said Orphanages do a great job by catering for the needy and deprived of the society. He added that Julius Berger supports such endeavours as part of the company’s social commitments. “As we observe this exercise here, similar ones organised by Julius Berger Nigeria are simultaneously taking place in different locations across the country,” Ashofor said.
Receiving the items after showing members of Julius Berger Team around the Orphanage, the Chief Operating Officer of Real Woman Foundation and Home, Temitope Ogunleye said “Just as we shelter children and women with love and hope, so has Julius Berger comforted us with more love and hope. We all at Love Home appreciate and will always remember you in our prayers.” She continued: “On behalf of the Founder, Pastor Nike Adeyemi it is a big thank you to Julius Berger from all of us, the children being rehabilitated, the victims of child trafficking and all that we care for, we pray for you and we thank you.”
