Director of a Non-governmental
Organisation (NGO) called Enugu State
Women Organisation of Georgia (ESWOG),
and businesswoman. She has lived in United
of America for over 30 years where she
taught the physically challenged children
before she veered off into the real estate
industry.
Now, back in Nigeria, Onyia-Thompson tells
Daily Sun that apart from driving ESWOG ís
projects, her present goal is to explore ways
to help indigent people.
Onyia-Thompson also noted that despite the
fact that the Nigerian woman is still being
held back by some cultural barriers, she still
stands out with her head high in the crowd,
determined to surmount all challenges in her
path to attaining her goals
Excerpts;
You represent a women’s organization
based in Georgia, USA; what is the
organization all about?
The organization is called Enugu State
Women Organization (ESWO) of Georgia,
Inc. It is registered as an NGO in the State
of Georgia in the United States. Every
woman who is an Enugu State indigene
either by birth or marriage is a member.
What do you hope to achieve with this
organization?
Some of our objectives include promoting
fellowship and unity amongst Enugu State
women in Georgia, to educate our children
about preserving our culture and to support
our communities in Enugu State through
implementation of different projects among
others. We facilitate our projects through
our Project Committee and I have chaired
the Committee for about three years. Our
mission is to engage benefitting schools to
find out their immediate needs to enable us
offer them needed support. We have
effected various interventions, some of
which are contribution towards building of a
chemistry laboratory at Amudo Community
Secondary School, supplying of exercise
books to Community Central School, Obe as
well as computers and accessories to
Premier Primary School, Udi. Textbooks,
workbooks and teaching materials were
donated to Amachara Community Primary
School, Ngwo. We are currently carrying out
some interventions projects in some other
schools like building toilet facilities in
Community Primary School Umuabi,
providing playground facilities and musical
equipments for Community Primary School,
Umudim- Imezi-Owa and hospital beddings
and equipment at a 14-bed Model Primary
Health Center in Ozalla. All these are in
Enugu State, and we intend to scale up our
interventions as the years go by.
How do you source for funds to finance all
your projects?
We have about 50 active members. We have
a Fundraising Committee that organizes
periodic fund raising events in Atlanta,
Georgia. We also raise funds by
taxing ourselves, conducting raffle draws
and other fundraising events such as gala
nights, where we invite our husbands,
friends and well-wishers to come out and
support us. We intend to source for
international support from foreign
organizations to enable us extend our
interventions to more communities across
Enugu State. We also intend to pay official
visit to the government of Enugu state to
inform them about our organization,
objectives and accomplishments and also to
work out areas of partnership with his
administration.
Does the organization have any program
where your children are taught the Ibo
language, culture and delicacies, especially
those of Enugu State?
Yes, we do. Through our Children’s
Committee, we designate our women to
teach our children our language and
everything about our culture. We hold our
general meeting every other month, during
which we have two or three women teaching
our children about our heritage. Our children
are also exposed through various events
including activities with other Igbo
organizations.
How would you describe the Nigerian
woman, considering that they have made
impacts in all spheres of life both in Nigeria
and in the Diaspora?
The Nigerian woman is a very strong and
dogged woman. She is intelligent and savvy
at multitasking. She endures and sacrifices.
I am sorry to say that the Nigerian woman
is still considered a second-class citizen in
this country. But even at that, she still
stands out. She manages the challenges
that usually stand in her path to attaining
her goals and in most cases conquers. In
the Diaspora, as well as here at home, many
of these ladies are accomplished politicians,
medical practitioners, legal practitioners,
teachers, accountants, engineers, CEOs and
what have you, despite these challenges.
So, no matter what the Nigerian woman
faces, in most cases, she stands her ground
and excels!
Are you in Nigeria on a brief holiday or
business?
No, Actually, I am here to stay. I will always
have a home in the US because my children
are there but I am here to participate in the
process of making life better for our people,
especially the less privileged.
What inspired your decision to leave all the
good life in the US to return to Nigeria
permanently?
My inspiration is really my people and the
need now to be amongst them ñ my
extended family and my community. It is
time for me to contribute my quota in the
business of national development with focus
on the indigent. I have always been involved
in various humanitarian services both at
home and abroad; and in line with the saying
that charity begins at home, I want to
expand my humanitarian services and it
would be appropriate for me to start from
home.
How soon do you intend to commence the
expansion?
As I mentioned earlier, ESWO has already
executed various projects in Enugu State
and we intend to continue to do so. Also, I
have already identified several interventions
that I intend to execute, through other NGOs
that l am involved with, in 2016.
How did your humanitarian efforts start and
what are your reasons for doing it?
I started by being of service to my family,
extended family and other people around me
who were in need. It is very important to me
to uplift people especially in their time of
need. As I was growing up our home was
open to many people; both family members
and others. Many families came through our
home in their times of need. So, I can say
my parents were a huge inspiration to me.
With my mother in particular what I saw
growing up was that she took interest in
people, their challenges and needs. She has
touched and continues to touch many lives.
Do you any plan of setting up another
specific NGO to enable you drive a better
organized humanitarian work?
I am already involved in a couple of
registered charity organizations, one of
which is the Ikenna’s Charity. Ikenna was
my beloved brother who was killed in a car
accident in Georgia, USA in 1996. He was
living with me at the time and he loved
people and always talked about how he
would help our people, both in the US and
back home in Nigeria. At the young age of
24 he had already touched many lives. And
so, when he died prematurely, my mother
and I decided that we would make sure that
his legacy never dies. We registered Ikenna
Charity as an NGO. Most of our funding is
from my husband as well as from other
family members. We give out scholarships
to indigent students at the primary and
secondary level, we clothe both the young
and old, women, widows are assisted
financially or paid monthly stipends for
basic upkeep. We are currently working on
setting out two days every month to feed
the hungry. Those were some of Ikenna’s
vision and we are determined not
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