The Lagos Food Bank Initiative, in partnership with GloWorld, has empowered 1,500 residents of Bariga with essential food packs, clothing, and relief materials during its community outreach in the area.
Beneficiaries, who were primarily vulnerable women and households, each received a food pack containing staple items such as rice, garri, spaghetti, noodles, tomato paste, sardines, salt, vegetable oil, and seasoning cubes at an event held at the Love Lagos Jetty in Bariga.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, Mr Michael Sunbola, stated that the initiative was implemented to alleviate food insecurity and improve the well-being of residents in underserved areas of the state.
He recalled that the private non-governmental organisation had a history of supporting the Bariga community through previous campaigns, noting that the Food Bank had, in the past, distributed essential food and personal care items to vulnerable residents as part of its ongoing efforts to combat food insecurity and hardship in underserved communities.
Sunbola commended Globacom for its investment in the Lagos State Food Bank Initiative and called on other corporate bodies to follow suit in supporting the underprivileged in society.
According to him, there is a need for both the public and corporate bodies to work together “to bring relief to people in our society,” adding that the day’s event saw 1,500 families in low-income communities receive food packs designed to sustain them for 2-3 weeks.
“Food is the basic thing families need to survive, and it becomes more sustainable when we have well-coordinated programmes like this to support people in need and bring relief to them.
“The beneficiaries were pre-registered and had their cards with them as they arrived, so it was not a free-for-all. We ensured proper accounting and profiling, which is the essence of the partnership. The coordination was of a high standard and, most importantly, the distribution was seamless,” he said.
Many of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the Glo Foundation for the thoughtful intervention with the food and other items in the packs distributed to them.
One of the beneficiaries, Abiola Oladunjoye, an unemployed woman, said it felt like divine provision to receive the food pack from the foundation.
“I really appreciate the kind gesture. May the Almighty continue to protect the company and enable it to grow. I pray for more success for you all and the company itself for remembering us here,” she prayed.
Another beneficiary, Amarachi Peter, a cook, praised the Glo Foundation for bringing its Food Drive to the community, describing the gesture as a significant relief during a time when the cost of living is challenging.
Eunice Kehinde, a hairdresser, prayed for the Glo Foundation and the staff of Globacom who supported the distribution effort, thanking them for considering the community in its food drive initiative.
“It is not easy for my family to feed these days. With this food pack from Glo, we are assured of having food to eat for some weeks,” she said.
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