₦12.6m Lifeline: Bishop Ezeokafor, HIFA Austria Sponsor 84 Indigent Anambra Students

By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu

The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship, Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor, has paid the tuition fees of 84 indigent students drawn from various denominations across Anambra State, amounting to a total sum of ₦12.6 million.
The tuition support was disbursed through the Justice, Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC), Awka Diocese, in collaboration with the Help For All (HIFA) Initiative, Austria, a non-governmental organization.
The cheque presentation ceremony took place on Saturday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Awka, the state capital.
Declaring the event open, Bishop Ezeokafor charged the beneficiaries to remain committed to their academic pursuits, stressing that education remains the fastest and most meaningful pathway to personal growth and societal relevance.
According to him, access to quality education is key to achieving greatness and fulfilling one’s potential.
The Bishop urged the students to remain focused and resolute in their quest for a better future, noting that without education, their aspirations may remain unattainable.

He further cautioned that only hardworking and serious students would continue to benefit from the scholarship scheme, while those who showed lack of commitment would be disqualified from future support.
The Bishop, who was represented by the Diocesan Chancellor, Reverend Father Charles Ndubuisi, alongside the Education Secretary of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, Reverend Father Maximus Okonkwo, admonished the students to shun distractions, take their studies seriously, and maintain good conduct at all times to avoid losing the opportunity.
Speaking during the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries at the JDPC Awka Diocese Secretariat within St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Executive Director of JDPC Awka Diocese and Chairman of the Anambra State HIFA Board, Reverend Father Levi Ukor, explained that the intervention was made possible through a strong partnership with HIFA Austria.
Fr. Ukor disclosed that HIFA Austria was founded and funded by retired teachers in Austria who are deeply interested in the academic performance and progress reports of the sponsored students.
“The sponsors are interested in your results, performance, and reports from school authorities. These are the factors that have encouraged them to increase the support from the usual ₦125,000 per student. This year alone, we are spending ₦12.6 million. Last year, we spent less. This shows the Church’s huge commitment to education,” he said.
The JDPC Executive Director expressed gratitude to Bishop Ezeokafor for his consistent concern for the welfare of indigent students, noting that although the Bishop could have deployed the funds to other areas, he chose to prioritize education.
He added that the initiative was not new, but a long-standing intervention that had grown over the years.
Fr. Ukor further revealed that the NGO increased its funding to nearly ₦13 million this year in response to the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
He challenged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture through improved academic performance, describing excellence as the best way to appreciate both the Bishop and HIFA Austria.
According to him, the selection of beneficiaries involves yearly scouting, thorough screening, and investigation to confirm indigence before their names are forwarded to HIFA Austria for approval and release of funds.
He also noted that beyond tuition payments, JDPC and HIFA engage in school construction and renovation, hospital projects, provision of transportation support, payment of medical bills for the destitute, and skills acquisition training for vulnerable persons.
Fr. Ukor explained that HIFA Austria, co-founded by Adolf Paster and the late Reverend Father Aaron Ekwu, is currently managed by Adolf Paster’s daughter.
He said the organization is focused on caring for the poor while bridging gaps in education, infrastructure, and other critical areas of life.
He announced that HIFA Austria currently operates in six states in Nigeria and has sustained consistent humanitarian interventions in Anambra State.
He stated that beneficiaries were selected from different schools across the state regardless of religious or denominational affiliation.
Students were drawn from Awka, Nnewi, Onitsha, Ozubulu, Ihiala, Ekwulobia, Orumba, and other communities.
He added that beneficiaries emerged from applications submitted during JDPC’s monthly meetings.
In his remarks, the JDPC Diocesan Chairman, Hon. Paulinus Adinuba, cautioned parents against diverting the funds to purposes other than the students’ education.
It was disclosed that each beneficiary received ₦150,000.
The event, organized by the Justice, Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC), was attended by parents, students, and other stakeholders from various schools across the state.
The visibly elated beneficiaries collectively expressed gratitude to Bishop Ezeokafor for the gesture and pledged to work harder academically in order to become positive examples to others.
Highlights of the event included the presentation of cheques to parents of the beneficiaries and group photographs.