EBERE GOMWALK-IJERE, SWISS BASED DAUGHTER OF LATE MARTIN IJERE, PROFESSOR EMERITUS AND COMMISSIONER IN THE OLUSEGUN OBASANJO ADMINISTRATION EXTENDS UNCOMMON KINDESS TO INDIGENTS AND LESS PRIVILEGED IN NIGERIA AND AFRICA.
BY UGONNA ANEJIONU
Indigents and the less privileged in Nigeria have been testifying to the uncommon kindness of Ebere Gomwalk-Ijere who has used her foundations to support them over the years from her base in Switzerland. These supports are for education, medicare, empowerment, housing, feeding and others and are also extended to other African countries.
Ebere, a widely travelled and well educated half cast is the fifth child of the very popular late Prof Martin Ijere, emeritus professor of Agric Economics who hailed from Ehime Mbano in Imo state. Ijere married a Swiss national who bore him seven children.
During an interview with Verbatim recently, Ebere said she was influenced by her father who she said his philanthropy and love for others moved her a lot when she was growing up adding that her father having seen her passion to help others at a time even predicted that she will either be a nun or a doctor.
She vividly recalled how she followed her father everywhere he went and watched him interact and show love to the people he met adding that she also followed him round the country when he was setting up branches of community banks and cooperative banks as the board director under Abacha’s regime emphasizing that her appreciation for her father and what he stood for increased during this period.
She said it is inbuilt in her to help and cater for others especially the less privileged adding she can go extra miles to achieve these which she said she has done for over 20 years.
This passion led to the formation of the ebereIjere Foundation in 2018. The foundation since inception has catered to the needs of thousands of the less privileged, physically challenged and also orphans including the sick ones and the elderly in Nigeria and other African countries.
Orphans and others in Kenya have also benefited from the largesse of this foundation as the foundation spends over 15,000 dollars or more on them annually.
In addition, the foundation feeds beggars on the streets and also doles out cash donations and other gifts to indigent old women, widows while scholarships are given to promising less privileged children and even to undergraduate students in some Nigerian tertiary institution.
Remarkably, Ebere spends over 15 to 20 million Naira of her personal resources to fund the foundation.
However, she said her foundation sometimes collaborate with other foundations like Heaven’s Kitchen, Stop The Abuse foundation, My Add international, SWEWO Foundation and the Umu igbo charity foundation.
Interestingly, her interest and passion to help the needy have won her the love and respect of many in Nigeria and Africa and have also placed her name on many lips that have continued to bless her for her efforts towards ameliorating the sufferings of the less privileged around her.
At the moment, Ebere is setting up companies for the purpose of reducing unemployment in Nigeria and some other African countries. Remarkably, she has continued to house staff of these young companies even when they are yet to start making profits.
Unfortunately, no help has come from the government to assist and encourage her foundation.
Reacting in this regards, Ebere said she is disappointed with the type of governance in Nigeria which she said is not for the people.
She said the governments have failed the people adding that what exists in the country are governments that the people serve and not governments that serve the people.
She decried the massive looting of the country’s resources by officials and only when the righteous reign will the people rejoice.
Ebere is a scientist and has worked in Switzerland for over 25 years. She is a writer as well and has written three books, two she wrote with her adopted son in Kenya, kevin Omondi who is currently a medical student in third year in kenya. She is sponsoring his education as well.
Her message to all is that we come to earth for a reason. Not to amass wealth for ourselves but to be a blessing to others. For the only thing we carry beyond is our character and the love we shared with those lives we touched, All religions preach this one unique message. As a Christain her message is clear. We are just clay in the Potters hand. The Potter, God is the give and we are His vessels of love.
