The Chijioke Ugwueze Memorial Foundation (CUMF) has celebrated graduation of 14 pioneer undergraduates through it’s scholarship programme.
Speaking in Enugu on Tuesday to mark its fifth anniversary, the CUMF Managing Director, Mrs Amaka Ugwueze, said the foundation was established in July 2021 in memory of her late husband, Mr Chijioke Ugwueze.
Ugwueze disclosed that the CUMF had significantly improved the lives of poor and less privileged persons across eleven political wards in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
She highlighted its impact on vulnerable communities through education, empowerment, and social welfare programmes and solicited for more support to expand its interventions.
She added that it had given financial grants to widows, trained unemployed youths and women on vocational and skill acquisition as well as distributed relief materials to persons with disabilities over the past five years.
The Managing Director said through its university scholarship scheme, had provided full educational support to 14 indigents but academically outstanding students studying courses such as Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Biology, and Education.
According to her, the pioneer beneficiaries of the scholarship are expected to graduate in 2026.
“The scholarship programme as an investment in the future of the communities, because education remains one of the most sustainable tools for breaking the cycle of poverty.
“Beyond education, the CUMF has continued to promote social cohesion through annual novelty football matches aimed at engaging young people, fostering unity, and encouraging healthy interaction among community members.
“The Foundation also holds annual Christmas celebrations for widows, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, and enrolling new beneficiaries into our vocational training programmes to improve their livelihoods.
“Ninety per cent of the beneficiaries are indigenous residents from less privileged backgrounds, which underscores the growing need for expanded humanitarian interventions.
“We therefore appealed to corporate organisations, philanthropic individuals, and development partners to support our programmes, to enable us extend scholarships, empowerment initiatives, and welfare services to more indigent persons”, Amaka Ugwueze noted.
Also, the Enugu State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Prof. Sam Ugwu, announced that the Foundation, which had primarily operated in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, would now expand its reach.
Ugwu said the Foundation was the dream of its late founder, who wished to help underprivileged people and appealed to the public and donors for support to enable it achieve the objectives.
