COVID-19 Nigeria Project #46418

COVID-19: Bring Hope to the elderly and vulnerable

by L.E.A.P AFRICA LTD/GTE

Project Report | Nov 10, 2020
Supporting the Elderly, Women and Children.

By Bernard Ibelih | Communications Programmes Coordinator

With so many low-income families still grappling with the effect of the pandemic on their livelihoods, LEAP Africa has continued to mobilise support for the elderly, women and children; by empowering our network of social entrepreneurs across 12 states in Nigeria to cater to the basic needs of the vulnerable in communities where they work-sharing hope and love in bags of goodies; ensuring families do not go hungry for loss of economic power occasioned by the pandemic.

So far, we have reached 17,588 individuals mostly the vulnerable in underserved communities in 3,933 households across 56 communities and we are pressing forward to reach even more.

Agnes is a 65-years old widow who is a petty trader and depends mostly on gifts from generous people to go through the day. Since the pandemic broke out, it was difficult for her to, her source of income was cut short as she had spent the little she had saved to feed her family so she had resigned herself to fate. However, her hope came alive during one LEAP Africa’s outreaches to her community. On sighting the LEAP Africa COVID-19 Response team, she began to beam with smiles of relief as she headed towards the distribution area. After she received her package, with the help of her grandson, she placed the food box on his head; almost moved to tears, she prayed fervently for the sponsors. Her grandson was very excited and told the team that her grandma will not have to depend on anyone in the next few weeks before they can feed again.

From Amuwo Odofin, Amukoko, Oworonshoki, Ajegunle all in Lagos, to Ilorin, Kano, Osun, Delta; the echoes were the same everywhere our team visited. Many of the community dwellers said they were weighed down not just by the fear of the virus but the uncertainty of where their next meal would come from and how quickly life can return to semi-normal. They were happy to welcome the team and grateful for the foodstuffs, provision and groceries handed out to them in goody bags.

In the words of Mother Theresa, ‘If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one’.

With twelve states, 3,933 households and more than 17,588 individuals spread across 56 different communities; all of these would not have been possible without your donations and the generosity of people like you.

If each one can reach one… no effort is too small.

You can join us and tell your friends to do more because we believe that together we can beat this.

Please visit, https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/covid-19-social-intervention-in-nigeria/?rf=progrept46418_150305 to contribute.

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much… Hellen Keller

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Jun 19, 2020
COVID 19 Response: The Impact on a Female Inmate

By Bernard Ibelih | Communications Programmes Coordinator

LEAP Africa, working with its network of social innovators and Alumni members are reaching vulnerable people in underserved communities and correctional facilities with food, relief items, awareness and sensitization with the aim of giving hope to 4000 households across Nigeria during the pandemic.

Locked up in a cell with 58 inmates, with the original capacity house only 10. Having to wait hours before being able to use the bathroom due to the strain congestion has brought on the prison facilities. Eating cassava flakes and pap without sugar or any form of supplements because these are considered as luxury and unavailable in the prison.

Going on weeks without bathing with soap or having to use wrappers as sanitary towels which have resulted in all sort of bacterial infections induced by the unhygienic state of the facility. With restrictions on visits to prison due to COVID-19, LEAP Africa is breaking the barriers to bring hope to inmates in Nigeria’s correctional facility in Abuja through Hope Behind Bars Africa.

Rahila is 18 years old, she was charged with murder and has been in prison since she was 15. Rahila grew up in a village in Nasarawa state; Northern Nigeria. Brought up by uneducated parents, she never had the privilege of getting formal education herself.

At 13, Rahila lost her father to an unknown disease and a few months later, she was married off to a man thrice her age by her father’s brother. For 2 years, Rahila suffered the anguish of being sexually violated by her betrothed husband; beaten and dehumanized. Amidst these, Rahila became pregnant, had a child who later died at 4 months.

A fight that would see Rahila sent to prison broke out with her betrothed husband’s first wife. Rahila ran to a neighbour’s house after the fight and on her return, her rival’s child had fallen into a well and drowned. Unfortunately, Rahila was accused of the crime and in one fell swoop, she was taken away to face the law. 3 years later, Rahila is still awaiting trial for culpable homicide punishable by death.

With restrictions of movement due to the pandemic, LEAP Africa and its network of social innovators are providing relief materials for over 4000 households across Nigeria. Rahila is one of the beneficiaries, with the generous donations of food and sanitary items to the Keffi prison by Hope Behind Bars, a LEAP Africa social innovator, Rahila is breathing the fresh air of hope in detention. For the next 3 months, Rahila can use sanitary pads rather than old wrappers for her monthly cycle. For the first time in 3 years, Rahila and 269 other inmates would now have more food options available to them just because LEAP Africa cares.

Links:

A dedicated page for the project

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