Mark Twain once said, “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Mother Teresa added, “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” John Bunyan noted, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi remarked, “The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”
These sentiments resonate deeply with Mr. Martin Nwabueze and his wife, Dr. Chisom Nwabueze. Their philosophy aligns with John Wesley’s advocacy: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
Over the years, the Nwabueze couple has been actively involved in an organisation that performs life-changing work in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, focusing on issues such as poverty, education, and HIV/AIDS.
As both pharmacists with extensive experience in the United States, Martin and Chisom are the founders of “Tilova for Africa,” a non-profit, non-governmental charity organisation based in New Hampshire, USA. They have spent many years engaging in charitable work, both as donors to various causes and as volunteers committed to making a positive impact in different communities.
As African immigrants, the couple feels grateful for the opportunities provided by the United States but remains deeply aware of their roots and the struggles faced by those in Africa who are less fortunate. Their desire to assist the underprivileged was fueled further by the tragic death of a close friend in South Africa due to his sexual orientation, which inspired them to establish this charity organisation.
Martin shared that as founders, they have assembled a team of over 500 volunteers from various nationalities, including human rights activists, doctors, legal experts, journalists, and generous donors, all dedicated to protecting and assisting the most vulnerable in Africa—such as marginalized minorities, the hungry, the sick, the homeless, and needy children.
He stated, “At Tilova for Africa, we direct our advocacy towards governments, religious groups, and businesses in Africa, urging them to change or enforce laws, policies, and practices to safeguard the fundamental human rights of marginalised minorities and the downtrodden.”
Additionally, the organisation works to build coalitions of compassionate donors to ensure that their goals related to poverty alleviation, educational empowerment, and health care services are achieved. To maintain fairness and build trust, they carefully review all donations to ensure consistency with their mission and values, ensuring that every contribution supports a just cause in alignment with the donors’ intentions.
“Our strength lies not only in the principles we uphold but, more importantly, in our determination and the tangible outcomes of our services and initiatives. From the beginning, we recognised that by working collaboratively, small efforts could combine to address significant challenges more effectively. Therefore, we appeal to all people of goodwill to join us as we strive for positive change in all our endeavours, so that together, we can contribute to making the world a better place, one step at a time.”
Martin emphasised that the charity branch of Tilova for Africa is their most vital and active component, stating: “We are directly distributing funds to those in need through our website and social media platforms. We are also collaborating with other NGOs in Africa for greater efficiency.
Funding is crucial to our work, and currently, our financial support comes from our personal contributions and generous donors. As we grow, we hope to secure funding from government sources and organisations as well.”