…Celebrating my Wife’s Birthday, Sharing her passion!
Great men celebrate the women in their life and help them find their passion; working with them to give it a voice.
Today is my wife’s birthday. Being with her the last 12 years as my wife I can say boldly that she is passionate about care giving especially care for the elderly. No wonder she chose Nursing as a profession.
This sharing her passion about the elderly she told me “Dear you see ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE A GREAT TREASURE. I hate to see anyone disrespect them, let them suffer or uncared for. You see they are fragile but full of wisdom and we must care for them to tap into the treasure in God placed in them.”
I faced the wrath of this passion last week while in the village with her. One of the young girls staying with our parent did something that looks disrespectful to my aged parents. In addressing the issue, I felt we need to listen to her story (You know I am passionate about young people!) but my wife felt I was taking side with her and supporting her. So, I choose to keep quiet but still had to explain myself in the room.
On the State of the Elderly there about 1 billion Elderly persons aged 60 years and above and the number will double by 2050. Africa has over 70 million of them. Nigeria has the 19th largest older population in the world in 2020 which is projected to rise to the 11th largest in 2050.
On their need she shared “You see I just came back from the village with my family for Christmas celebration. I saw a huge need and an opportunity. I saw poverty and yet an opportunity to be of help. I saw a cry for care and help in the faces of these Elderly. I saw a burden that need to be lifted and a call to feel loved and cared for. And I asked what can I do? What can we do?
… today these people who labored to raise us and built the nation we call ours are mostly neglected despite their strategic place in the society. In fact, some of them are sometimes termed witches or wizard by the children they raised and the community they built. In many fronts they are neglected by the Government or employers they served with their youthful energy.”
On what she planned to do “In response to this I decided to take a step no matter how small it may be. So, I am starting a Two-month Project to Clothe and Feed an Elderly Person in Rural Communities starting with 50 persons. The Project is tagged Faith Cares for the Elderly. To give them a set of cloth with a footwear it will cost N7,000 per person and with a food for 3 days it will cost N10,000 per person.
Beloved, join my wife make this dream a reality as we together gladden the heart of One Elderly person. She feels the best birthday gift for her today is choosing to pray for the elderly and reaching out to them to show the love of Christ and the love they have shown to us.
Here are 3 things my wife is requesting today:
- Pray for me to keep on being the person God desires me to be.
- Pray for an Elderly person you know today for encouragement and God’s grace to finish well.
- Give a Birthday gift to enable me reach 50 Elderly persons. No amount is too little. (Be assured report of what is raised and how it is used will be shared) chat me up to give.
Beloved as a friend and partner kindly join me celebrate my wife today through a Prayer, chat, an SMS, a call, or support to her project. You can reach her on +234 8065607788
You can start by reaching out to the Elderly persons in your life, community, Church, and nation. Remember, one day you too will be an elderly person.
Hankuri Tawus Gaya
#JustOneStudent
#JustOneSoul
#CampusMissionary
#FaithCaresfortheElderly
3rd January 2020