The Man with a Big Heart

Declan Mbadiwe Emelumba is an author, philantropist and politician. Soft spoken with an incredible passion to use his influence to bring about good. One thing that permanently defined his vision of life, and ultimately his  world view, was the loss of his mother at a tender age of about 12 years. He was growing up to see much love being showered on him by his mother. Just as he was getting accustomed to this much love and care, which ensured that he lacked nothing as a child, death struck. his mother died and in a matter of a few months his situation changed 360 degrees. He moved from experiencing extreme love and care to experience excruciating want and abandonment. As incredible as it appeared in the beginning, this sordid situation of lovelessness and want became his lot into full adulthood. And it changed his story.

From the time he could extend care to others, he always looked out for anyone who was maybe going through a similar thing he went through and who he could help, within the limits of his resources.

As a postgraduate student in the university of Lagos, he combined his studies with teaching in a secondary school. In the school he met a boy who was very brilliant but without any hope of going beyond the secondary school because of his poor background. He could only get through secondary school because it was free then in Lagos state. Declan picked interest in this young boy and encouraged him to aspire for higher education. He did all he could to see him graduate with a higher National Diploma, a few years later.

Today he is responsible for the training of people in the university and secondary schools. He has trained people upto university graduation, and all have the same backgrounds; poor  with a feeling of dejection.