Dr. (Amb) Jenny Chinaza Celebrates Queen May Edochie as She Marks Birthday With Widows and People with Disabilities

By: James Shodiya.     Her Excellency, Ambassador May Edochie, popularly known by her admirers as Queen May, has marked her birthday by extending humanitarian support to military widows, persons with disabilities, the blind and other vulnerable members of society at Ojo Military Barracks, Lagos.

The event, organised through the May Oasis Foundation, combined birthday celebrations with an empowerment programme designed to provide food, farming inputs and other forms of assistance to beneficiaries.

Queen May said the initiative was inspired by her desire to celebrate her birthday with people who, because of their circumstances, may not ordinarily have access to the kind of celebration and opportunities enjoyed by others.

According to her, the programme provided about 1,500 food packs, while approximately 300 to 400 women were targeted for empowerment.

She said the choice of Ojo Barracks was deliberate, particularly because many of the beneficiaries are wives of soldiers who lost their lives serving the country.

“People who have fought for this country, people who stood for this country, touched me,” Queen May said, explaining that she decided to return to the mainland after learning about the circumstances of the military widows.

She noted that the programme also brought together beneficiaries from different sections of the military community, including the Army, Navy, Police and Air Force.

The celebrant said the foundation’s activities were not limited to feeding beneficiaries, but also focused on empowering them to become self-reliant.

She disclosed that fertilisers and other materials were provided to support women engaged in farming, while additional items were made available to persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Queen May said the initiative was also designed to introduce a new feeding programme that could eventually be sustained quarterly.

She explained that the idea of feeding 1,000 people was suggested by a friend, after which she decided to incorporate it into the foundation’s activities.

“I believe in starting something and doing it right. Let people see your vision. Let people understand what you do. They will resonate with it,” she said
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The foundation, she added, received support from her fan base in Nigeria and the diaspora, as well as a number of organisations and individuals who identified with the humanitarian cause.

An NGO representative from Sierra Leone also attended the event after expressing interest in supporting the foundation’s work.

Speaking,Her Eminence, Peace and Integrity Ambassador Dr. Chinaza Jennifer Ogwaja, Global Director of the International Office of Peace and Integrity Advocates and United Nations ECOSOC Promoters, commended Queen May for dedicating her birthday to vulnerable members of society.
” She has a heart for humanity”she declared.

Ogbuaja described the initiative as an expression of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the objective of addressing hunger and improving the welfare of vulnerable people.

She said Queen May was not merely providing food but also addressing some of the underlying economic challenges confronting the beneficiaries.

According to her, some of the military widows at Ojo Barracks are engaged in vegetable farming but require fertilisers and other inputs to improve their productivity.

She disclosed that about 400 bags of different types of fertiliser were provided to the women as part of the empowerment programme.

Ogbuaja, who said she had worked with vulnerable groups for several years, explained that her own organisation had established initiatives aimed at supporting military widows and persons with disabilities.

She said the collaboration with Queen May was based on their shared passion for humanitarian service and empowerment.

“We share the same passion to drive humanity,” she said.

She also called on the Federal Government to provide greater support for the wives of fallen military personnel, noting that their husbands had sacrificed their lives in the service of the nation.

Ogbuaja stressed that humanitarian efforts by individuals and foundations should complement, rather than replace, institutional support for vulnerable Nigerians.

Also speaking at the event, Prince Chukwuwuike Eloise, Chief Operating Officer of the African Farmers and Culture Organisation (IFOBA), described the initiative as timely and worthy of emulation.

He said the wives of fallen soldiers had made sacrifices for the country by supporting their husbands who served in the military.

According to him, the welfare of such women should receive sustained attention beyond occasional assistance.

He urged philanthropists, civil society organisations and government agencies to collaborate in addressing the needs of military widows and other vulnerable groups.

One of the beneficiaries, Caroline Ugo, a widow from Delta State whose late husband was a soldier, expressed gratitude to Queen May for remembering military widows.

She prayed for God’s blessings, protection and long life for the celebrant, while appealing to the government to provide more support for widows of fallen military personnel.

Caroline said the beneficiaries were particularly happy because the programme gave them an opportunity to receive food and other forms of assistance while also celebrating together.

Another beneficiary, who is visually impaired, commended Queen May for remaining committed to humanitarian activities despite personal challenges.

She appealed to the Federal Government to do more for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable Nigerians, arguing that sustainable empowerment was needed in addition to palliative assistance.

The disabled beneficiary who prefers annonymity also appealed to organisers of future programmes to improve crowd management and distribution arrangements.

While acknowledging the efforts made by the organisers, she noted that the large number of beneficiaries created some disorder during the distribution of materials.

The event marked a continuation of Queen May’s humanitarian activities, which she said had previously taken her to various communities where she provided food, empowerment and other forms of assistance.

She explained that the foundation’s anniversary coincided with her birthday this year, providing an opportunity to combine celebration with service to humanity.

Rather than organising a conventional birthday celebration, Queen May said she preferred to use the occasion to support people facing difficult circumstances.

The Ojo event therefore combined food distribution, agricultural empowerment, support for persons with disabilities and a celebration intended to give vulnerable beneficiaries a sense of inclusion and dignity.

The organisers said the ultimate objective was to ensure that beneficiaries received not only immediate relief but also opportunities that could help them improve their livelihoods and become more economically self-reliant.

High point of the event was the distribution of various items, including fertilizers, grinding machines , house hold items and bags of rice to the widows and disabled persons.