OKONGKO: CHARITY IS A VIRTUE -KENDI JUMBO

 In an era where some of our illustrious sons and daughters who have found fortunes overseas prefer flaunting their flashy lifestyle and vainglory on social media, Dr. Chris Okongko, Founder of the Okongko Charity Foundation represents a clear departure from the bandwagon.

His has been a different ball game such that instead of seeking vainglory for himself, he prefers to honour humanity with his hard-earned blessings. Perhaps, his penchant in self-denial for the sake of meeting needs of the downtrodden may not have been farfetched, considering his philosophy of life and values even when he was in Nigeria.

To the Canadian-based businessman and philanthropist, humanity is man's first call and  service to God, while every other call is but secondary. No wonder, his actions have agreed with Gandhi's timeless philosophy, which posits that: “the best way to find oneself is to lose oneself in the service of others”.

As a development journalist who has been following the trends of events, I have been privy to having first knowledge of how the Foundation has fared, carrying on with flair the responsibility of taking away the burdens from many not well-to-do families and meeting the needs of communities, including mine, Ikot Ideh in Ukanafun.

The pictures hereunder tell more lucidly the tales of goodwill, of gratitude and of joy from the people and communities that have benefitted from the various humanitarian gestures of the Okongko Charity Foundation.

These are just a representation, a tip of the iceberg about how far and how well the Foundation has continued to intervene in the affairs of men and communities alike.

Such consistent benevolence could only come from a place of love for humanity while God takes the ultimate glory