By ALEX ENEBELI

The Management of the Old People?s Home in Enugu State has appealed to the Enugu State Government and well-meaning Nigerians to assist the home with basic amenities for the upkeep of its occupants.

The Assistant Supervisor of the home, Sister Sylvia Blanshard made the call when the Association of Heads of Federal Establishment (AFHE), Enugu visited the home on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the home is owned and managed by the Little Sisters of the Poor of the Catholic Church.

They also appealed to Gov. Peter Mbah to assist the home with water supply by extending water pipes to the building located at St Paul?s Catholic Church, Awkunanaw.

Blanshard, while acknowledging that Mbah administration had been working hard to provide safe and clean water for Enugu people, disclosed that the home was faced with water challenge.

According to her, we pay more than N200, 000 a week to get just water at the cost of N40,000 for five tankers a week making a total of N800, 000 per month.

The assistant director also said the home was currently housing 50 old people, adding that the building would be 50 years old by next year.

?So we have certain problems in the building like painting and refurbishing. We want people to help us with foodstuffs and other basic needs.

?We cook for over 80 people and feed them three times a day and we have also 30 families that are not old people who come every month for monthly food package.

?The home is grateful to our employees who are not Nigerians,? she added.

She commended AHFE for visiting and donating items to them, saying the poor had no financial means and were not supported by their families but through charity.

She explained that the Little Sisters of the Poor congregation was a French congregation founded by Sister Jeanne Jugan, within the Roman Catholic Church, that was assisting the poor in 21 countries.

Speaking also, the Sister in-charge of the home, Sister Rosily Kunjuvarkey, added that they could not take new admission due to lack of space and other challenges as they depended on charity.

Earlier, the Chairman, AHFE, Mr Emeka Nwokoro, said the visit was part of the association?s way of giving back to the poor people in the society.

He said they came to be with the elderly, show them love and donate some items to them to make their lives better.

?We came with pampers, rice, milk, detergent, oat, fresh tomatoes and others.

?AHFE is happy that we could give out little we have and they are happy that we came even the Reverend father among them prayed for us,? he said.

He appealed to other Nigerians to always channel their charity to the deserving ones. (NAN)

?PHOTO: Members of the Association of Heads of Federal Establishment in Enugu and Management of Little Sisters of the Poor, Old People?s Home, Awkunanaw, Enugu

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