Adopts 18 Children, Educational Support For 50 Others
Urja Foundation an initiative of an Indian expatriate in Nigeria celebrated three years of giving support to the less privilege in Nigeria last week. And it has provided educational support for 50 children as well as adopted18 children from orphanages and rural communities.
The foundation, according to its chairperson, Rukhi Mitra, started in 2013 after some people came to her for assistance, but due to limited resources, she decided to call some friends to start Urja Foundation to raise fund to meet these needs.
“We go to teach in public schools regularly every year and we have adopted 18 children so far and we want to adopt 9 every year, but this year has been so difficult, we have not been able to do it but our sponsors are still with us, supporting in cash and kind. The foundation has been to schools in Ilupeju, Makoko to teach in the past three years and some motherless babies’ homes in Lagos,” she said.
According to Rukhi, the foundation survives through support because they know the foundation is out to help kids through life.
“Apart from supporting education in the rural area, the foundation is also about cultural inclusion as it has been infusing Nigerian culture into Indian children, and Indian culture into Nigerian children through dance and teaching them how to prepare food from both cultures.”
Rukhi further said, “when we go into schools or orphanage, we don’t just give them gift rather we talk with them, dance and teach them”. She also said that the foundation encourages the adopted children to perform well in school as a motivation to sponsor their higher education. “.
Head of Chancery, India High Commission, Lagos, Vyas Deo Choudhary said the High Commissioner of India has been supporting the foundation because as a representative of the Indian government in Nigeria, it is duty bound to support activities of Indians particularly who have applied to the High Commission. “This foundation can help boost bilateral relations between Nigeria and India,” he said.
The celebration was spiced up with performances from artistes from Nigeria and India. There were also awards for those who had been supporting the foundation. There was also a cooking competition with the best three cook/chef smiled home with gifts.
