Nollywood Actresses Affect Lives thru Charitable Work

---

Finding fame and fortune takes series of painstaking activities,  but leaves a lot of expectations on the artistes. Recognizing that no artiste can actually get to the peak of his or her career without the fans, society has a way of looking up to these talents to give back to their communities.

Some are doing so by committing personal funds to social, religious, medical and political causes, while others have done so by organizing specialized charities to pursue their causes while lending their celebrity status to solicit for funds. However, some who are notable in their act, are not doing anything at all! … And we take a look at what they are doing to help humanity.



Uche Jombo

Uche Jombo, by virtue of her rise in Nollywood through writing and acting is more in tune with breeding talents in her line of activity, which is why she has launched Uche Jombo and You, a forum that grooms youths on how to become successful in the movie industry. With Uche Jombo and You, Uche hopes she would be able to pass across the lessons of success, which helped her become who she is in the industry, especially to the youths yearning for opportunities. But the forum has largely been dormant with very limited activities. Although Uche is currently promoting her latest work, Damage, its trailer shows it has nothing to do with the cause she seems to be fighting in the community.

Stephanie Okereke

Actress and producer, Stephanie Okereke identified Vesico v*g*nal Fistula, VVF as a debilitating condition amongst women, which led to the formation of Extended Hands Foundation. She has been working with the support of international agencies to bring the condition to a reasonable control through awareness. While it may be difficult to quantify how much in terms of financial resources have gone into the project, the actress has been traveling extensively to create enormous awareness for her cause. The United Nations also invited her to participate in the mission in Liberia to campaign against rape, where she visited the fistula hospital there. Lately, she produced a movie with the same theme, which is yet to be premiered. But between working for the plight of VVF victims, Stephanie is also extending hands to aspiring youths who want to take up careers in the movie business through the Del York International programme in conjunction with the New York Film Academy.

Omotola Jolade Ekeinde

The actress is championing her social cause through her NGO which is called Omotola Ekeinde Youth Empowerment Initiative, which organizes empowerment lectures and programmes for the youth. According to Omotola, her concentration on youths stems from the fact that they are the future of the society. “My passion and vision about life cannot be so hard to know after all this, you have only one life. Be happy, make others happy, Do what is right, and live your dreams. All religions encourage this, it is a sure way to make other people happy and the sad thing is that these children did not put themselves in that condition they met themselves in that condition because of some people’s mistakes.”

Ini Edo

Ini has not registered an NGO, but she works in partnership with many agencies to bring succor and hope to the less-privileged in the society. She does this by gracing events that have charity undertone. During her recent birthday celebration a few months back, Ini Edo who is also a UN Ambassador to Youths on Habitat, celebrated with homeless kids at some charity homes, where she doled out gifts and cash in the company of some NGOs she has been working with.

Mercy Johnson

As Mercy is now married, perhaps part of the goodwill she would bring to matrimony would come from the prayers of her fans whom she is touching through the Mercy Johnson Foundation, which is concerned with making sure that underprivileged children get back to school. So far, Mercy has launched series of sensitization workshops and visitations, each time doling out gifts like stationeries to the school pupils. She is doing this, according to her, in recognition of the benefit of education in the life of every young child. “I have been doing it for years now without making noise. Some people know about it while some do not. But the reason I am making this public is just for one reason, and that is for the people who have been supportive. I want them to know what we are doing with the money given to us for these children. I just want these people to know that it is not a Mercy Johnson thing. So, if you see me driving a posh car, you will be able to say or defend me, knowing that the money sent to us is well used for its purpose.” she intimated.

Rita Dominic

Rita Dominic does not run an NGO, but she has been active in drawing attention to the plight of the less-privileged with her star-status. She has participated in many charity walks and causes on different aspects of human development. Though she has not ruled out the possibility of owning an NGO that would pursue a cause, the born actress says she is comfortable directing her energy towards supporting others for the time being.