22nd February, 2024
Scores of senior citizens received love and gifts at the 2024 Valentine’s Day Party for the Elderly organised by the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation under its Care for Life Program on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
The annual event at the purpose-built Biokpo Recreational Centre for the Elderly in Abonnema, Rivers State, featured praise, dancing and merriment.
There were also comedy and recreational games, including Ludo, Whot and Ayo, with the senior citizens receiving gifts, including assorted food items, towels, Ankara shirts for males and dresses for females, wrappers, soap dishes, bailer bowls and buckets, among others, for their personal upkeep and well-being.
The elders commended the non-partisan not-for-profit organisation for its generous care. They asked others, including individuals, corporate organisations and the government, to emulate it in caring for vulnerable senior citizens across the country.
“We appreciate the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation and its Chair, Dr Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs, for the tireless care and affection showered on us. Today is the universal day of love, and the Foundation includes us with the party it organises annually for us,” noted Pa Dokubo Lawson-Jack.
He added that “several people neglect the welfare of senior citizens, but the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation never does that. It cares for us all year round, and more Nigerians should follow in its footsteps. This is the only activity for senior citizens here today, and we are happy to be part of the global celebration of love. I wish the Foundation more growth and Dr Seinye Lulu-Briggs continuous prosperity and good health.”
A traditional ruler in the area, Adolphus Black-Iwerima, hailed the phenomenal love Dr Seinye Lulu-Briggs has for older people, noting that elder care should become a priority nationwide.
Another senior citizen, Pa Fubara Sunday Bobmanuel, who spoke through his wife, expressed happiness with the celebration while praying for Dr Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs.
“It takes a lot for an individual to invest so much resources and commitment to caring for elders. Many of us benefit from the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, and I pray that the Chair and her generation will never lack helpers,” he said.
Through the Care for Life Program, the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation cares for the health, economic and social well-being of vulnerable older adults in Rivers State. It covers all their medical costs, provides caregivers to look after them, and gives them food, household supplies and a monthly cash allowance.
The Foundation’s other programs are Free Medical Mission, Access to Clean Water and Sanitation, Education and Scholarships, and Microcredit and Entrepreneurship, all aimed at nurturing the holistic well-being of vulnerable people in the Niger Delta region.