Umuada Okpuno-Egbu, Nnewi honour 70yrs, above, plan large scale skill acquisition programme

From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi

Umu Okpu (Umuada) Okpuno-Egbu community, Umudim, Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State Sunday honoured their members from 70 years and above, married women and some men in the area and launched Igbo calendar.

The women group which has Mrs Angela Okonkwo as its Chairperson and Pastor Dr Uche Chukwu nee Orizu as the director of affairs said that the scores of women and men recognized was to make a distinction in its maiden edition of annual get-together.

Dr Chukwu said that the Umuada decided to recognize their members, men and married women in the community who have not been found wanting and for their contributions towards peaceful coexistence in Okpuno-Egbu community.

“We are the Umuada of this community. This is the maiden edition of our annual get-together as women born in this community. We deem it necessary to start it this year and the event is significant in some dimensions.

“What we have achieved, as you can see, is the recognition of our members from 70 years and above with gift items to appreciate them for standing out in defense of the truth without compromise.

“The second category is those married into this community also from 70 years and above who have not derailed as married women in their homes. We see everyone and we know everyone.

“We have the third group which is selected men from our community who have distinguished themselves in one thing or another to uplift the community, ” she said.

Highpoint of the event was the launch of an Igbo calendar meant to promote Igbo language and culture, according to Dr Chukwu.

She said that the group decided to salvage Igbo cultural heritage in its little way through the calendar, which according to her, is going into extinction.

“Our children don’t know their Igbo market days any longer. We want to take our people back to their roots, ” she said.

She noted that the annual event availed the women an opportunity to meet with relations they had not seen for a very long time. She said there were some of the women she saw at the event after twenty years.

In a related development, Dr Chukwu said the women group had concluded arrangements to begin skill acquisition programme for their members in a larger scale. She said the women had been doing that in some of their quarterly meetings.

She explained that it was meant to keep the women busy away from frivolities and gossips.

The Umuada at the event shared 100 bags of rice courtesy of Okpuno-Egbu Chief, Dr Ifeanyi Orizu.

The women later entertained themselves and the Obis in their midst with splashes of music renditions coming from a standby DJ. They prepared some delicacies for themselves and their guests.

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