By Cyriacus Nnaji
No doubt the lockdown of Lagos State as part of measures for the containment of the worldwide ravaging Corona Virus is having its adverse effects on the residents.
This was the reason on Saturday April 4, Chudyvindo Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) devoted for saving lives, decided to gather over 500 families of Ilaje/ Adebisi and Mashebinu Streets in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, giving them food items to cushion the effects of the lockdown Lagos order by the state and federal governments over the Corona Virus.
Corona Virus aside, Chudyvindo is also known for house-to-house provision of food items to the poor in Ajangbadi area of Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Co-Founder of the NGO, Johnmary Anagolu, while speaking at the event disclosed that public spirited individuals in the community always contribute their quota to assist government to realize its goal, hence the idea of assisting the less-privileged in the area “you know this area is called Ojo, a place where any day, any time, people come out to support government for whatever they are doing”.
Speaking on the choice of Ilaje/ Adebisi Street, he said “Chudyvindo Foundation chose Ilaje/ Adebisi Street because it is where the masses actually need help; on our own, I and my wife formed the Chudyvindo Foundation to help the community, and we have been doing this for five years now.
“And this time around we discovered that a lot of people are really hungry, so we chose this vicinity because this place is where the poor masses live, as you can see.
“I am even surprised to see the multitude of people here. Yes the government said they don’t want to see crowd of more than 20, but you can see here we have more than 1000 families gathering just for food.
“And on our own, we can’t afford to feed everybody, we only do our best to assist the government and also the poor masses as you can see here,” Anagolu said.
He also spoke on what the government should do with billions that are being contributed as a result of the Coronavirus “let them help these people, we can’t do anything than to plead with the government to assist the poor masses at Ojo area especially in the place called Mashebinu Street and Adebisi/Ilaje area.
“We really need help. The little we can offer is what we have brought here and I thank God, people are happy, they have received it and we can do more, I just wished we could do more.”
Anagolu added: “For the donation going to the government it is good, but my fear is that those donations may not get to the poor masses.
“Donations should be allocated to the poor masses. Giving to the government is very good, I welcome the idea, but for us we can’t afford to donate N20 billion. It is out of our little business we just have to make available the little we are offering today.
“Anybody making any donation should go to the streets to see the way people are suffering and find a way to help them.”
Anagolu disclosed that he made provision for four hundred persons but was overwhelmed by the number of people waiting to collect the items “we targeted 400 people but the number we are seeing here today.
“In fact I don’t even know, I wish the government could take time to come down to this area, I am sure if they come down they will feel our pain.”
On where he derived his inspiration for his philanthropy, “my inspiration is God and the backbone of all that I am doing is my wife, Mrs. Vivian Anagolu, she is the one who is always there to encourage me.
“There was never a time I make up my mind to say lets support this people that she will not be in support of it. She even contributes her own money for this particular purpose.
“So the inspiration is from God and for the fact that we are part of this people who suffer to survive in life and today the position we find ourselves, we thank God for that, so we are going back to those who are really in need of help,” Anagolu said.
A lady who managed to speak to the media after collecting the foodstuff said “God will bless the man. God bless Chudyvindo. The government is not helping us.
“They gave us two weeks and they gave us another two weeks without food, we are not going to work, the government is not helping us at all. God bless this man and his family.”
