Foundation Pledges Sustained Training of Caregivers, Support for Elderly, Empowerment for Women, Youths

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia


A non-governmental organisation, SANAB Development Foundation, has pledged to sustain its programme of training caregivers, saying that it has so far trained over 1,000 over a period of 10 years of its humanitarian and empowerment activities.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the  Foundation, Mrs. Sarah Nwanjuobi Anaba, made the promise at an event in Umuahia marking the 10th anniversary of the NGO, whose activities revolve around the vulnerable and marginalised groups.

She said that, aside from training of caregivers, SANAB has also “empowered hundreds of women with skills and confidence, provided mentorship and direction for young people, and comforted the sick and elderly in their most vulnerable moments.”

However, Anaba played down the number of people SANAB has made positive impact in their lives over the past 10 years, saying that “we have never been driven by numbers” but the transformation of people through acts of compassion.

“Our true success is measured in the tears we’ve wiped, the hope we’ve restored, the hands we’ve held, and the lives that now shine with renewed purpose.

“We have seen once-hopeless mothers become entrepreneurs, boys and girls once ignored now standing tall as role models, and elders once abandoned now living with dignity and care,” she said.

Recalling the genesis of SANAB in 2014, the CEO noted that it “began as a quiet dream in my heart – a conviction that our elderly deserve dignity, our youth deserve direction, and our communities deserve care.”

She stated that there was “real need” for intervention to cater for the less-privileged in the society, having encountered “widows who had been forgotten, elders with no one to care for them, and young people whose dreams had no wings.”

Anaba said that “I could not turn away (and) could not wait for someone else” to assist those in need hence “we started – with what we had, where we were, with a firm belief that one act of compassion can transform a life.”

According to her, the belief that something can be done to alleviate the suffering of others eventually “became a movement”, adding, “we entered villages not with promises, but with presence. We listened. We learned.”

After 10 years, Anaba declared: “I am overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude –  for how far we’ve come, and for the many hands, hearts, and voices that have walked this journey with us.”

In her remarks, Abia State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Maureen Ijeoma Aghukwa, acknowledged the tremendous impact that Sanab Foundation has made in tackling “the relentless challenges” faced by the vulnerable ones.

She pledged that the Women Affairs Ministry would always work and partner with the Foundation as they share a common vision of creating an “inclusive society where nobody is left behind”.

“SANAB has exemplified the spirit of love, care and compassion. It is empowering women to give them voice to be heard,” Aghukwa said.

In her presentation, the State Coordinator of Sanab, Delphine Chioma decried the treatment meted out to vulnerable people in the society, noting that they are mostly neglected, mocked and abandoned, and even denied education.

She called for “a more peaceful, inclusive future where the elderly are not feared but honoured, people with disabilities are not pitied but empowered, kindness is not a weakness, but a way of life, and peace is not just an ideal, but a lived reality.”

Several organisations and individuals, including traditional rulers presented their goodwill messages, commending Sanab for its efforts in making the society better by giving care and empowering the vulnerable and marginalised.