Unsung
Hero

In a society where certain children are tagged "abnormal" and abandoned for being different, Rev. Father Anthony Chuy Ananwa has made it his mission to build a home for them. While society tends to ignore or overlook this group, Father Ananwa chooses to stop and help, even on days when it means picking abandoned children from bushes and giving them a safe shelter. Rev. Father Anthony Chuy Ananwa is a Catholic priest residing in Anambra State, Nigeria. While serving as a young seminarian at Bigard Memorial Seminary School in Enugu State, he decided that after ordination, he would establish Jesus Abandoned Charity Home. Providentially, however, the organization's first branch was established in Australia when Father Ananwa went there for further studies. When he returned to Nigeria, he then established branches in Anambra and Abuja.

"I grew up helping old people and people who don't have children," he says. This experience strengthened his passion to continue helping the less privileged even after the seminary. For him, helping people has never been a difficult decision to make—it is something he grew up doing. Speaking of the events that continue to inspire his work, he narrates, "I discovered that when parents give birth to a child and the child is physically challenged, they abandon the child in front of our gate."

With this discovery, Jesus Abandoned Charity Home expanded to provide shelter and care for hundreds of abandoned children who have nowhere else to go. Through this act, the organization has become more than just a charity home. It has become a place of refuge and hope for displaced children.

Although there have been setbacks that have prevented Jesus Abandoned Charity Home from accommodating more children, Father Ananwa continues to push forward with his mandate.

Right now, Jesus Abandoned Charity Home still struggles with basic amenities such as electricity and water, which are necessary for the children's comfort and growth. Though his work has gained recognition and donations from people over time, many of the organization's needs are still individually funded. Today, Jesus Abandoned Charity Home continues to operate its Anambra and Abuja branches.