…Correspondents in PH adopt Priesthood Orphanage, pledge continued partnership
Motherless homes in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have appealed to the state government to pay attention to the plights and dilemma facing such orphanages due to fears of eviction and conflicting regulations.
The major dilemma seems to be what to do with teenaged ones when a government regulation says those above 18 must no longer reside at the homes.
Some of the proprietors have cried out saying the law was copied from countries with robust social welfare schemes that absorb the teenagers and give them benefits that support their housing and feeding needs. Such does not exist in Nigeria where children of any age are regarded as the burden of the parents.
“In a situation where a child of 18 years does not know his or her parents, how do you push such children to the streets?, one of the founders lamented in an interview with journalists in Port Harcourt.
This dilemma was confirmed on Thursday, April 10, 2025, when the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) visits Priesthood Orphanage in Elelenwo, Port Harcourt.
The founder and proprietress, Blessing Henry Echenwo, said she is also burdened by heavy school fees because all her ‘children’ are now of school age up to tertiary institutions.
She said she had to resort to skill acquisition and entrepreneurship scheme for the inmates to create jobs and sales points at various corners on their street. “We had to make them very close to our location so we can monitor them from close quarters”.
Echenwo said the most important impartation is spiritual and moral upbringing so they can imbibe fear of God from the onset. “If we allow them to scatter, all the moral values we built into them would disappear. The society will be the worse for it”.
She called on the state government to create the next level for teenaged inmates that would graduate from orphanages, saying the work of the orphanages have finished but more work lies ahead. “Only state government can take over with scholarships, grants, skills, etc. The graduating orphans must be given a career, a life, to climb onto.”
Correspondents in Port Harcourt have a tradition of visiting an Orphanage every year as part of their annual Press Week. They eventually adopted Priesthood Orphanage at Elelenwo in Port Harcourt as their permanent destination every year no matter where else they may also choose to visit, depending on availability of funds.
It was thus a touching session Thursday, April 10, at the Priesthood Orphanage at Miracle Estate on School Road in Elelenwo, when the inmates at the Home poured what sounded like warm blessings on their visitors.
The Home is situated on two compounds that face each other, dominating the entire Miracle Street with paintings and gospel messages on walls along the street, exhorting visitors or moral and spiritual values.
The delegation was led by the Chairman of the Chapel, Amaechi Okonkwo, who was represented by Ignatius Chukwu, Organising Committee Charman of the 2025 Correspondents’ Week.
Speaking while making their presentation to Echenwo, the Proprietress of the Home, the leader of delegation said their primary reason for the visit was to encourage them.
He urged the Founder to be strong and continue to cater for the children, pointing out that the Correspondents’ Chapel through the permission of Okonkwo, its chairman, and the members, has adopted Priesthood Orphanage as their permanent Home for its annual visitations.
“We are here to encourage you. We will continue to support and partner with you, especially in the area of information dissemination. Whenever you have issues, tell us and we will shout it out as journalists”, the Chapel chairman said.
He delegation conveyed the message of the chairman which read: “We love you” to the children.
He prayed that God continues to provide for the inmates of Priesthood Orphanage and lauded the Proprietress for a job well done.
Other members of the delegation such as Clarice Azuatalam, Precious Akutamadu, Alice Onukwugha, and Jane Francis Ohaka, gave messages of encouragement to the Home and prayed fervently for the inmates, urging them to aspire to any height in the society and be professionals of the future including becoming great Journalists.
Responding, the Proprietress, thanked the August visitors for coming, praying that God in His infinite mercy will continue to protect them in their onerous task to watch the society.
She acknowledged the Chapel for their regular visits and support.
Echenwo identified other challenges of running an Orphanage including strict discipline and feeding and facilities. She said there is need to help build more hostels to properly accommodate the children, calling on Government and public-spirited individuals to come to their rescue.
She explained the source of the children, saying people usually bring some, while some came on their own, others were got from accident victims, as well as hospitals.
The Chapel members were also thrilled with songs, performance and prayers by the children to spice up the day. The children learnt one song from a female member of the Chapel, Ohaka.
Highlights of the visit were presentation of gifts to the inmates of the Home and special prayers for the Chapel members by the children.
