Ike Uche In Charity Pledge

Nigerian footballer playing in the Spanish La Liga is spending his high salary not on fast cars and big houses, but on the less privileged children in the community where he grew up.

Ikechukwu Uche, who plays at Getafe, was born in Aba, Abia State, south-eastern Nigeria

Aba, arguably the commercial nerve of Nigeria has also produced international footballers like Obinna Nwaneri, Kalu Uche, Onyekachi Apam and Onyekachi Okonkwo, as well is home to double African Champions Enyimba.

Beset by several challenges like bad roads and lack of electricity, Aba remains the best city in the world for the soft-spoken Uche.

For him, deprivation appears in clear context after a tough childhood and each day he steps back into a little piece of his past and considers himself lucky to have made fame and fortune from football.

Recently, the 25-year-old continued a five-year trend by visiting the Ngwa Road Motherless Babies Home, in Aba.

The soft-spoken Uche presented food and cash donations there as the kids sprawled and swarmed around him.

This Motherless home is one of all ‘Nine Homes’ the Super Eagle regularly donates to in his hometown state of Abia, donations he often makes in an anonymous position.

“I consider myself to be very lucky in life and where else to spend my holiday than with people who are not as fortunate as myself,” says Ikechukwu Uche.

“The truth is these kids don’t have parents, so who cares? I guess we need to put ourselves in their shoes for a day. “The government has done what they can but each individual needs to make an impact and contribution as well, we must not always wait for the authorities.

“This place, like thousands across the country, need a fresh water supply that will prevent disease from spreading. They also need other things, and I will look into one or two of those while am still around.”

Uche admits he could feel a sense of de javu there and the pulse of these kids.

The year 2003 turned out to be a dark one in his life as he and his older brother Kalu Uche lost both parents in the space of three months, to the cold hands of death.

It’s been six years now but the ugly event continues to live in his head.

Now a famous footballer, the 25-year-old has never forgotten how fortunate he is to be where he is today without his parents.

“That dark moment lingers but life goes on and I will have to live with it.”

“Life out there and the one here (in the homes) is totally different so let us reach out to the less privileged ones. I know they also do similar things but I urge fellow professionals to always reach out to vulnerable children.”

Since he became a professional footballer in Europe, Ikechukwu Uche has often made anonymous contributions to ‘School of the Deaf, Ngwa Road Motherless Babies Home, the SDA Motherless Babies Home and the Nwamaka Motherless Babies Home, all in Aba