A nongovernmental organisation, Society for the Reconciliation of Distressed Nigerians in Diaspora (SORENID), has donated machines worth N500,000 to discourage young Nigerians from embarking on perilous journey to Europe by road.
The NGO believes that such donations would help the young ones in the country to concentrate on skills instead of embarking on illegal migration.
The machines donated at the weekend in Karu, Abuja, to the three beneficiaries included; popcorn machine, car washing machine and juice extractor machine.
Speaking on the selection of the recipients, the founder of SORENID International, a retired Diplomat, Sir Uchenna B. Okafor, said the beneficiaries were people in dire need of help. “We had over 20 beneficiaries who were trained by this NGO with different skills and empowered. We will continue to assist as many people as we can.
“The selected beneficiaries need our help. They have no one to cater for them. We took them in because of our desire to help the society and give people a sense of belonging, and make them feel important in the larger society. It has always been my passion to help other people and I am very happy doing it.
“We know that if we hand over the money to them, they might not use it effectively; that is why we are giving them these machines to enable them start their own various businesses and expand as time goes on.
“It is always important to have a skill especially now that there is no job. We are also encouraging graduates to ensure that they have one or two skills that will assist them in life Incase the job they are looking for is hard to come by.”
Okafor, said he is back in to the country to contribute in human development and help shape people who need assistance.
The SORENID boss said he founded the NGO to cater for deportees and assist orientate people who are yet to travel, about the dangers that awaits them.
“We are not stopping people from traveling. We are educating them on what they must do to travel the right way. We are against them traveling by road to Europe. It is always to have a skill so that you can be useful to yourself when you finally travel the right way to the country of your choice.
“I have staff who are training people on various skills to make them useful. It is important for people to know how to do something, instead of selling their organs for money.”
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of SORENID, Oliver Nwodoh, who was also a victim of illegal migration, said there is a lot of dangers in traveling to Europe by road.
He called on young Nigerians to be useful to themselves instead of traveling to be slaves in other countries.
On her part, V.P Academics Government Secondary School Airport, Mrs. Onwuka S. Ngozi, harps on the need for education.
She said education is important because young Nigerians are deceived on daily basis to travel abroad.
“It is unfortunate that some of our youths are interested in quick money. It is this quest for quick money that usually forces them to embark on the perilous journey.
Let’s be patient and pray to God for His Will to be done in our lives.