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A15-year-old Nigerian student in Philadelphia, USA, Miss Chierika Ukogu, yesterday donated 10,000 pairs of shoes to the needy in Abuja and Ukpor, in Anambra State.
About 7,000 of the shoes were sent to the motherless homes in and around the Federal Capital Territory, while the remaining 3,000 would be distributed to the indigents in Ukpor and its environ.
Briefing the press in Abuja on how she came about the project, Ukogu said she conceived the idea to help the needy when she visited her home town, Ukpor, Nnewi South of Anambra State, five years ago.
“About five years ago, I travelled to Nigeria and I went to Ukpor, my home town. I noticed a lot of children walking around with no shoes in this modern day. I know that if you walk about with no shoes, you are more prone to parasites, bacteria, diseases and wounds.
I was touched and made up my mind to help. The opportunity came last year when I was invited to a business camp in the USA where I wrote several articles on the plights of Nigerian indigent children and my experience when I travelled to Ukpor," she explained.
Ukogu, a student of Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Philadelphia, said her articles and proposal at the camp attracted publications in several USA based journals.
``After the publications, I was able to collect over 10,000 flip flops (shoes) from donors through my school and my father volunteered a section of his garage where they were stored.
``The donations have been coming in their thousands because of the willingness of the people to help me in my plight,'' she said.
To make the project formal and to facilitate the shipment of the shoes to Nigeria, Ukogu said that she formed a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) duly registered in the USA, known as Flip Flops for Africa (FFFA).
``The first batch of the 10,000 shoes was shipped in to the country just a week ago, with the financial assistance of my parents, Mr and Mrs Joe Ukogu,'' she said.
On her challenges, Ukogu said that shipping the consignment to Nigeria and within Nigeria``was a real hazzle'' particularly getting people to understand the objective of the shoes.
The mother, Mrs Frances, said it was difficult transporting the shoes from Lagos to Abuja.
``The American side has been taking care of, the major problem is here in Nigeria because, yesterday, when I was to transport the consignment from Lagos to Abuja it was a big problem.
``I had to pay extra money because the security agents and the bus drivers were telling me the goods were contrabands even when I tried to explain to them that they were for donation for charity,'' she said.
The teenager called on the Nigeria government and other charity organisations to collaborate and support her for effective shipping and distribution of the shoes to the needy in Nigeria.
She also said that she was hoping to extend the gesture beyond Nigeria and to all African countries who are in need of the help.
``My goal is to collect and distribute over one million shoes in a year.This is achievable because the shoes keep on coming in by donors.
``Besides, I am making plans to partner with multinational shoe manufacturers in the developed countries for support,'' she said.
A member of the House of Representatives from Ukogu's constituency, Hon. Cyril Maduabun (PDP Anambra), who was at the occasion commended the efforts of the teenager.
Maduabun, the House Chairman, Public Petitions Committee said, ``It is a worthy initiative from a young girl like her and we will encourage and support her to continue.
``The House has just set up a Committee on NGO and things like this, we will do everything we can to assist her''.
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