By Francis Sadhere, Warri
Deacon Shola Mese, founder of Shola Mese Foundation, a Warri based charity group, yesterday marked his 55th birthday anniversary with widows and aged women drawn from different communities in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta.
The widows and aged women were drawn from Okere community, Okere/Ogborikoko community, Ugbunwague community, Ogboroke community, Okurede Urhobo, Ukerede Itsekiri, and Enerhen community.
Other women also came from Catholic Church, Winners Chapel, and Christ Apostolic Church.
To celebrate the birthday with them, Shola Mese shared wrappers to all the over 200 women that attended the ceremony. This is aside food and drinks that went round in abundance.
The women also had their blood sugar and blood pressure tested and those who needed medical attention were referred to doctors to take care of their health challenges.Speaking to journalists during the birthday celebration, Mese said, he derived more pleasure in celebrating his birthday with the widows and aged women in the society because they are passing through a lot of difficult times.
He said most willows pass through hell in the hands of their in-laws after the death of their husbands, lamenting that it ought not to be so.
He therefore called on well to do individuals in the society to stretch a helping hand to the plight of the needy in the society as this would go a long way in putting a smile in their faces.
“I enjoy giving to the needy. And that is why during my birthday, I enjoy celebrating it with widows and the aged women in our society. So this year I am celebrating with about 300 hundred widows and aged women drawn from different communities in Warri.
“These women were drawn from different denomination and communities such as, Okere community, Okere/Ogborikoko community, Ugbunwague community, Ogboroke community, Okurede Urhobo, Ukerede Itsekiri, and Enerhen community. Other women also came from Catholic Church, Winners Chapel, and Christ Apostolic Church.
“I want Nigerians to try and remember the widows and aged women at all times. We should try and reach out to them because the truth of the matter is that most of them are passing through a lot of sufferings, especially from their so called in-laws.
“Some of them are denied a lot of things after they lost their husbands. None of their in-laws want to think about them or even their children.
“So my advice is that no matter how small we should try and reach out to the widows and the aged women in our community. So instead of celebrating with friends and families all these time, it better to celebrate with people like this who cannot give you anything in return. By this your will get more fulfilled in life of your heart is genuine,” Mese said.
Earlier, Bishop Tina Eberere, opened the ceremony with a prayer. She prayed for all the women that attended the ceremony, praying for God’s blessings to be upon the celebrant, Deacon Shola Mese.
Some of the women who spoke to our Correspondent expressed happiness over the hospitality of Shola Mese stressing that they have never seen someone with the heart of gold as Shola Mese.
