Charity Is About Restoring Hope, Not How Much You Give — Edet
For a child who has lost a parent and is struggling to remain in school, a scholarship can mean far more than payment of school fees—it can be the difference between giving up and holding on to a dream.
It is this human side of charity that the immediate past Commissioner for Agriculture in Akwa Ibom State and Founder of the Mary Slessor-Akan Glo Foundation (MASLAG), Dr. Glory Edet, wants society to pay greater attention to.
Edet, who spoke as a guest on The Discourse, a programme on Comfort FM, to mark the 2026 International Day of Charity, said helping people in distress should not be left to governments, wealthy individuals or large organisations.
She described compassion as a responsibility that belongs to everyone, regardless of social or financial status. “Charity is everybody’s business. Whoever you see that is in dire need, you should reach out to the person within your capacity,” she said.
Her conviction, she explained, is rooted in years of personal involvement in helping people, which began while she was still a student. For her, the establishment of MASLAG was the fulfilment of a long-held desire to create a platform through which vulnerable people could receive not just temporary relief, but opportunities to rebuild their lives. The foundation has consequently supported people through skills training, empowerment, starter packs, scholarships and other interventions.
One of the cases that remains particularly significant to Edet involved a student of Methodist Girls Secondary School, Utu Ikpe, who lost her father and was reportedly at risk of abandoning her education. MASLAG stepped in with a full scholarship, according to Edet, providing support from her secondary school years through tertiary education. She said such interventions are carefully scrutinised, noting that the foundation verifies beneficiaries to ensure that assistance reaches people with genuine needs.
Edet also drew attention to the responsibility of beneficiaries to turn assistance into a pathway to independence. She said the foundation’s empowerment programmes are deliberately designed to give people the means to use acquired skills, become productive and eventually reach the point where they can support others.
She also acknowledged interventions by the Akwa Ibom State Government, particularly support for vulnerable citizens through housing, food and other forms of assistance, while urging individuals and organisations to complement such efforts.
As the world observed the International Day of Charity, Edet said the value of giving should never be measured by the size of the donation. “Charity work does not depend on the amount you give, but on the heart you use in giving,” she said.
She further advised those intending to establish foundations to first develop clear objectives and sustainable funding plans, stressing that humanitarian work requires commitment beyond publicity.
For MASLAG, whose projects have included scholarships, support for widows and multiple-birth parents, assistance to children and the construction of a chapel in Ibiono Ibom in honour of Mary Slessor, the underlying message is simple: sometimes, restoring hope to one person is already a meaningful act of changing the world.
