Concerned by the plight of his flock currently suffering the effect of the stay-at-home order by the government in the face of the fast spreading deadly coronavirus (COVID-19), the Chinwe Bode-Akinwande (CBA) Foundation has reached out to the underprivileged widows and their children in four communities in the outskirts of Lagos State.
The programme, which held at the Baale of Okun-Ilado community palace to cushion the harsh effects of the government stay at home order on the poor residents, CBA Foundation, on Friday, April 17 2020, gave out food stuffs mainly rice, garri and stipends to over 140 families that thronged out to receive the palliatives.
According to the founder, Chinwe Bode-Akinwande, most Nigerians are discouraged because of the attitude of others towards the underprivileged windows.
She stressed that the decision by the foundation to embark on the empowerment scheme is anchored on the fact that the widows and their children occupied a very special and strategic place in the mainstream of the foundation.
“The foundation was established to alleviate sufferings and pains of the less-privileged, especially widows and their children in the society. And I decided to do this because I am led by God.
“We are sharing foodstuff so they can at least have something to eat during the Lagos lockdown order by the state and federal governments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We enjoined all well-meaning Nigeria to please reach out (if you can afford it) to that person next to you that is not sure of what to eat tomorrow.
“When you drive through Lagos you see group of boys and girls begging for arms carrying placards that read: “We are hungry please help”. So, we have also decided to cover beyond underprivileged widows and their children by reaching out to more Nigerian at this crucial time,” she said.
Thus, this did not come as a surprise to some community leaders in the area, when they saw people receiving food packages to cushion the harsh effects of the lockdown.
One of the elder in the community said: “This did not come as a surprise to us, CBA Foundation has always come to the rescue of the underprivileged widows and their children in our society.”
Another, beneficiaries, who identified herself as Yaya Taiwo, could not control her emotions after collecting the foodstuff said: “God will bless this CBA Foundation.
In line with NCDC guidelines, before the commencement of the distribution of the food items, all the beneficiaries were made to wash their hands were sanitised and the volunteers used facemask and gloves for the food distribution while ensuring that social distancing was enforced as their were seated and some lined up.
