BREAKFAST FOR HUNDREDS AT 2018 ECUDOMEF HEALTH FAIR.
December 31, 2018: As part of memorializing Their Royal Highnesses, Eze Cletus and Ugoeze Dorathy Oparaoji, an annual health fair is usually convened along side a scholarship
awards ceremony by the Eze Cletus and Ugoeze Dorathy Oparaoji Memorial Education Foundation (ECUDOMEF). Breakfast is usually served prior to the commencement of the health fair. 2018 was no exception. Hundreds were served warm breakfast. Over 35 health care practitioners (Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Labtechs, students etc), then participated, evaluated, counselled and or treated over 400 patients, including the officiating priests. Since instituted, over 30,000 patients have been counselled and or treated through this program. To God be the glory!
ECUDOMEF Empowers More Youths with Scholarships
Amuzi, Ahiazu-Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria: December 31, 2017: The Eze Cletus and Ugoeze Dorathy Oparaoji Memorial Educational Foundation (ECUDOMEF), awarded scholarships to top 6 students selected from a scholarship examination administered annually for the past 27 years. The successful recipients were awarded their prizes, including N30,000 each, before a Church full audience, during a mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Innocent Uwa and others, at the St. Jude Catholic Church, Amuzi. The winners are Onyewuchi Christian Onwuwuike and Anyanwu Victor C. both from Umuowasi; Agwulonu Doris Toochi from Ako-na-Ojibo; Ogu MacDonald C from Umuokoro; and two siblings from Umuokazi – Anyanwu Esther C and Anyanwu Georgia Chidinma. Prior to the recipients receiving their awards, all candidates that sat for the exam who were in attendance at the Church were recognized and received consolation prizes. They also alongside the winners and their parents received special prayer and blessings from the officiating priests. When given the opportunity to speak, the awardees and their parents sounded a common theme of prayer, praise and commendation for the Founder Professor Oparaoji, the Board Chair, Professor (Noble Lady) Viola Onwuliri and indeed ECUDOMEF, for “motivating, uplifting and bringing relief to us with this God sent blessing”. The mother of the two sibling recipients, teared up uncontrollably, saying “I have had sleepless nights praying and agonizing how we will find the money to further their studies, and this happens, oh God, Thank you Jesus”. The ceremony was coordinated by Her Excellency, Professor Viola Onwuliri, and assisted by Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Nwigwe, Dr. Chinemerem Onwuliri, Dr. Emeka Oparaoji, Professor Ignatius Onyeocha, Mrs Gertrude Anya, Ms Alexandra Nwigwe and the Church Catechist Mr Isaac Izunwanne. It must be recalled that this scholarship program was initiated in 1990, as Amuzi Scholarship Scheme, administered by His Royal Highness Eze Cletus Oparaoji, Eze Oha 1 of Amuzi-Ogwuama autonomous community, but became ECUDOMEF after he passed away on December 31, 1997. Since initiation over 400 students have become beneficiaries, and gone to become positive contributors to society as healthcare practitioners, lawyers, engineers, teachers, clergy, successful entrepreneurs and in other life endeavors.
ECUDOMEF Health and Wellness Outreach Programs Touch Hundreds in Rural African Communities
Amuzi, Ahiazu-Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria: December 31, 2017: The Eze Cletus and Ugoeze Dorathy Oparaoji Memorial Educational Foundation (ECUDOMEF), 2017 annual health and wellness outreach programs held successfully at Amuzi, in a rural Igbo Nigerian/African community, during the Christmas holidays. This year’s health fair which constituted the core of the program was mostly sponsored by Mendel Pharmacy Inc. of Maryland USA, had over 20 healthcare workers- Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists and others in attendant, who provide free medical check-ups and treated over 300 patients from Amuzi and surrounding villages, with ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, gastrointestinal, respiratory tract and urinary infections, malaria, head and body aches and others. Since inception the program has treated over 4000 patients. The medical outreach program is directed by US based Dr (Mrs) Genevieve N. Nwigwe, and assisted by Dr. Chinemerem Onwuliri (chairman LOC) of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. Other members of the team are Dr (Mrs) Ijeoma Dozie, Consultant at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr. (Mrs) Ify Onwuliri-Abuja based physician and Dr. Emeka Oparaoji of Temple University, USA. The ECUDOMEF Wellness outreach component also lived up to its reputation, as it put smiles on faces of individuals with varying debilitating physical challenges and their families. Typical of such cases were Messrs. Agomuo Egwim and Ahiwe Ekeocha. Elder Agomuo has been afflicted with stroke and mostly homebound. When visited by Professor Eddie Oparaoji- founder ECUDOMEF, he acknowledged that his health was improving but expressed regrets the he’s unable to go beyond his bedroom door for fresh air and/or sunshine. Following that visit Professor Oparaoji arranged for a wheel chair be delivered to him to enable him experience and enjoy the outdoors again. The wheelchair has since been delivered and Elder Agomuo now cannot get enough of the outdoors. Mr. Ahiwe Ekeocha has been an active paraplegic since birth, very proud and loquacious, but with old age, then loss of vision came inability to generate income. When he was visited by Her Excellency Professor (Noble Lady) Viola Onwuliri, ECUDOMEF Board Chair, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education, during ECUDOMEF’s “Share-a-Meal-with-the-Elderly” outing, Mr Ahiwe narrated how he has been experiencing sleeplessness, from the discomfort of his bed. On inspection Professor Onwuliri was horrified at the tattered state of his bamboo bed, and immediately ordered delivery of a new bed and mattress for the physically and visually incapacitated Mr. Ahiwe. He not only sleeps very soundly now, he has been showing off his new bed. When asked, how he can show off anything when he cant see, he said “I slept on a tattered bamboo bed where half of me was always on the floor for many months, I can tell the difference- it is like night and day” (translated from Igbo)