Being the Director of Communications at Helping Ordinary Lives, HOL Foundation is difficult. Every day of your lifestyles, you sense the gas left for your tank could dry up after which your race will give up before the finish line. Every day is a warfare to place at the least brief smiles on the faces of human beings, who desire for purpose to specific authentic happiness. The biggest or funniest jokes with the aid of the great clown or comedians in town cannot pass them as their pains are larger than them all.
It is easy to read approximately the spate of poverty in Nigeria and Africa on the pages of newspapers or journals. It is more difficult to get a complete image of poverty and stand to study it in reality. You no longer handiest fight to keep your tears, you also combat for the strength to face on your ft. 89 million Nigerians are living in extreme poverty in Nigeria regardless of the yardstick for the measurement of poverty is being below spending $2 (N684) on food consistent with day. The figures are easy to look beyond as a headline, but it is a special ball game when you see the humans living in excessive poverty physically as well as taking note of their testimonies. I want the humans could be granted unfastened passage into heaven on judgement due to the fact the planet earth has been hell for them.
I will never neglect the 27th of June, 2020. It became the day I noticed the photo of poverty and consider me, poverty is unsightly and scary. My Managing Director had contacted me to prepare for a regular field exercise which entailed sharing of relief substances among citizens of inclined groups. It turned into a difficult selection to make considering the risk of the coronavirus pandemic, which had ruined corporations and plundered the financial assets of many. For the first time, I felt it became over for the foundation. I noticed myself becoming a member of the vulnerable humans we swore to bring succour and wish to. The director wasn't going to let Covid-19 deter him from a motive he has committed his life to. He collected finances right here and there and even went as some distance as borrowing, to purchase meals materials for the inclined humans, whose conditions have been made worse with the aid of the infectious and lethal sickness.
We arrived at one of the shanties on the Agbado Ijaiye area of Lagos State to percentage comfort substances. We had organized portions of rice, beans, noodles, vegetable oil and others in extensive quantities for a targeted section of the populace dwelling there. They had been satisfied to look us. Most of them lamented the failure of the authorities to share its highly publicized Covid-19 palliatives among them. They argued that they want them the most in Nigeria. We pacified them with soothing phrases and in no time, the smiles on their faces nearly overpowered the rays of the sun. It changed into a beautiful sight.
Our relief materials have been now not enough as news spread around city that we had been round and the number of human beings on the ground stored doubling. We soon took our leave and promised to go back at a future date. We felt fulfilled to a huge volume as we journeyed lower back to our diverse houses. Then the rain started out to fall; as Africans, we appeared this as showers of benefits. We assumed that Providence was glad with our efforts and turned into trying to element us at the backs. The commercial enterprise of the day regarded accomplished and dusted however that wasn't all, something that could mark the beginning of any other landmark tale become growing.
As we negotiated excruciatingly with the potholes around the Agbado-Ijaiye axis, we spotted a center-elderly man who turned into physically-challenged. He changed into only transferring round with a makeshift wooden wheeler. It turned into quite small and occasional. It is commonly utilized by crippled beggars. He sat on it and used a pair of lavatory slippers worn on his fingers to transport it round. Everywhere turned into flooded. The vehicle we came in become already crying for assist as the bad roads had the nice of it. This guy became navigating across the potholes through the roadside energetically. Some of the potholes at instances appeared as if they have been going to take his existence.
The director was moved as he stared at him from the automobile. He ordered that the auto need to be parked and he approached the man. For as soon as, I felt he had wanted to heal him like Jesus Christ as he alighted from the automobile and gazed at him. When he got near, he bent and stated 'Please gentleman, what is your name?'
He struggled to respond as he may want to barely talk the English language. From his intonation, it was clean that he was Hausa. One of the workers who understood the language perfectly interjected and communicated with him. It turned into then that he gave his call as Ayuba. The middle-elderly man whose seems tell the gory tales and wicked demanding situations of existence found out he begs for a residing. The boss ransacked the car for some palliatives. Luckily, we determined a few. He additionally passed a few cash gifts to him. He explained he is a married father of four. His wife is crippled too. We all deserted our journey quickly and accompanied Ayuba to his home. Ayuba's life became a real photo of poverty. His first baby turned into approximately 10 years vintage. All of them have by no means seen the 4 walls of a school. They had been no longer only malnourished with their our bodies covered by tattered clothes, additionally they had no destiny to financial institution on. Tears flowed down on the cheeks of all of us as Ayuba narrated what it takes to place the cheapest meal on the family desk each day. If the tears weren't managed, the upcoming flood round his residence could have been mounted by the collection of tears from our eyes. One may want to only peep via Ayuba's residence with fear. It become dark and looked like a dungeon from which the following pandemic should emerge. The door become so low and small that a fat animal might be discouraged from entering.
"I want my kids to move to school. I need a higher future for them. I do not want them to emerge as like me. Life is tough, lifestyles is just too hard" he stated with the tears been seamlessly unleashed.
"I can't manage to pay for a wheelchair. It is so hard for my wife and that i to move around in the course of the rainy season. I can't rely the variety of times I even have fallen into deep gutters. Going out is a chance. I feel I should die every time however the well-being of my family way a lot to me. I just need to go out and make some thing regardless of how little" he delivered.
The boss looked up and signalled to all and sundry that it was time to go away. Ayuba checked out the relaxation materials once more and thanked us. He wanted we may want to stay longer and devour together with his circle of relatives but we respectfully declined.
For the first time in a completely long time, the boss become quiet all through the ride domestic. We all knew he turned into touched by using the story of Ayuba. We were all moved too. When I got to the junction of my road, the automobile parked and I got here down with my bag containing my personal consequences. The boss checked out me and stated, Ayuba is our new assignment now. He is a part of our own family. His youngsters are our duty and we need to make the sun shine on that home. I nodded my head in popularity. Waved him goodbye and left for my domestic. I became troubled all night and stressed because of the day's enjoy.
HOL Foundation has struggled to solve the structural demanding situations of Ayuba however we're very hopeful and will by no means forget about him. The boss ordered the logistics team to dispatch some remedy materials to his home these days. Life appears the identical for Ayuba but we are very sure things will quickly take a U-flip in his life as we preserve to gather the wished resources to make the promised change.
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George Osayimwen is the Director of Communications at HOL Foundation
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