Akpan Umoh, Uyo
The Ritzy’s Life Enhancement Foundation (RILEF) has donated one bedroom apartment worth millions of naira to a visually impaired widow, Madam Elizabeth Sampson of Ikot Ewang in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
Speaking during the handing over of the house to the widow in her hometown, Ikot Ewang in Nsit Ubium LGA on Friday, the founder of the RILEF, Miss Precious Andrews, said her attention was drawn to the plight of the widow by one Miss Rachael Monday.
Andrews said when she visited the place to see for herself, the condition the widow was living in deeply touched her because the mud building had been carved in and had almost fallen.
According to her, the roof was leaking anytime it rained and the woman was in a pitiable condition that required urgent attention.
Andrews said she used her Foundation to source funds to construct the building, which started sometime in April for the widow.
She thanked all those who donated money and materials to build the house for the blind widow.
“This is the fourth edition of our widows’ mite. In the first edition, we gathered widows across the state, fed them and provided them with wrappers, we gave some of them grants for their businesses.
“This fourth edition came, I was led to meet with this woman, Madam Elizabeth Sampson, by Miss Rachael Monday, who chatted me up on Facebook, because she had seen my other philanthropy works.
“She chatted me that the woman is visually impaired and the house she was living in was almost falling and the pictures she sent to me were quite touching. I decided to visit the place.
“When I came and saw her, the condition I met her in was terrible and quite pathetic, she is blind and lives alone without any assistance and the roof was exactly how Racheal described it.
“Initially, it was not easy, but I had to start the project through donations sent to my foundation and today, we have built the house for Mama.
“So, I’m very happy and I want to tell everyone that contributed to the building of this house, thank you all, from the biggest to the smallest donation, we appreciate you,” Andrews said.
Receiving the keys to the house, the beneficiary, Madam Elizabeth Sampson, who was full of joy, thanked Andrews and her Foundation for coming to her rescue.
Sampson said the house she was living in was almost collapsing until Andrews, through her foundation, came to change her life for the better.
According to her, the roof had leaked, and the mud walls were not stronger for anyone to climb the roof for repairs, so one of her sons bought waterproof to cover the roof, but when it rained the breeze removed the waterproof.
She thanked Andrews and all those who donated their hard-earned money and materials to build the house for her.
“I was living in pathetic condition, until one day in April when Rachael Monday visited me with this lady, Miss Precious Andrews, to come and build this house for me.
“I see God Almighty passing through this lady to bless me, and today I have a roof over my head, to God be the Glory. May God bless this lady and prosper her ways,” she said.
A community leader and neighbour to the beneficiary, Mr Enefiok Samuel, thanked the donor, her foundation and all those who contributed to the building of the house.
Samuel said it was a thing of joy that happened to the widow in the community and called on other well-meaning individuals and groups to emulate the donor.