Our vision
Minna's Children's vision is that no child should be deprived of hope for their future because of a lack of personal care, food and education.
Who is Father Chido?
Fr Chidozie Ezeribe, affectionately known as Fr Chido, is a priest of Minna Diocese in Nigeria and the inspirational founder of the Stella Maris Educational Foundation in Nigeria.
He is now on pastoral mission in the Glasgow Archdiocese and current Parish Priest of St Dominics, Bishopbriggs. Learn more in our Brief history section.
A brief history
In the early 2000s, the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic terrorised the population of Nigeria.
The people thought then (wrongly) that they would catch the deadly virus if near to an infected person, as in the old days when virulent leprosy caused fear and havoc.
As a consequence, those infected were stigmatised and largely avoided with women and children being the worst affected.
People were often literally thrown out onto the streets from their homes and then systematically ostracised by their families, villages and communities.
Many children in the Minna area lost their parents and found themselves abandoned.
Fr Chido worked as an HIV/AIDS support volunteer and subsequently was appointed Health Coordinator of the Minna Diocese. He and his team sought to provide emergency help for these desperately marginalised people.
With the kindness and courage of some local families, he was able to organise sanctuary for the homeless children in need of urgent life supporting assistance. He also arranged various forms of education for them where possible throughout the Diocese.
Much influenced by his work during the crisis and his own experience as an orphan from the age of 13, Fr Chido formed in his mind the vision of an institution capable of providing free education for the many disadvantaged children, then and now.
He did not aspire to providing a short term fix, but rather the establishment of an 'academy' with all necessary support services in order to prepare children for a better independent future for themselves, their families and the wider community. Education and healthcare services in Nigeria are not free.
By a turn of fate, the President of Friends of the Poor-Africa, Jeanne Colarusso, met Fr Chido while on a visit to Nigeria on charity work. Concerned for the demands placed on him personally by the pandemic, she invited him to her home in La Jolla, California for a holiday break.
While there in 2011, he was asked what he wished for in Nigeria. Remarkably, his one wish was granted with a sizeable donation resulting in his vision being realised in the same year.
The academy was built and named Stella Maris Academy. In 2013, it was registered as a charity in Nigeria with the name: Stellla Maris Educational Foundation.
Over the years, the Foundation has grown into a remarkable organisation, providing sanctuary, food, education, healthcare and other crucial services. These are offered to all children in need, irrespective of their religious and tribal background.
The Foundation is entirely dedicated to providing a new life and a future of hope for the children in its care.
It is always dependent on the generosity of charitable donations in order to survive and develop: a constant challenge.
