THX22 Foundation, in partnership with the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, has completed its outreach to support 200 vulnerable families in the Ebute Metta community, Lagos, with food box items as part of its corporate social responsibility programme.
This initiative, an offshoot of 22Bet, a gaming company dedicated to supporting vulnerable families, distributed food box items to 200 beneficiaries within the Ebute Metta community on Friday.
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According to the organisers, the THX 22 Foundation initiative has carried out numerous campaigns in Oyo State and other states, partnering with various organisations to give back to the communities.
Lagos food bank
Speaking at the food outreach initiative on Friday, Michael Sunbola, Executive Director of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, said the outreach is the outcome of a collaboration between his initiative and 22Bet, which is actualising its CSR objectives by feeding vulnerable families in the country’s challenging economic climate.
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The executive director stated that extending food outreach to other Lagos communities is part of the initiative’s objectives, particularly during the Christmas period, to provide food to vulnerable families in Lagos.
“22Bet decided to use the Lagos Food Bank as a vehicle to actualise their CSR objectives and to reach out to 200 families in the community in this challenging economic climate. Corporate organisations should not just be about profit; it’s about people.
“You can see the number of families present today. What we are giving them will serve a family of five for at least two weeks. It is very wrong for people to go hungry in the midst of affluence. Lagos is the commercial hub of Nigeria, yet more than 60% of people living here are multidimensionally poor, and poverty breeds hunger,” Mr Sunbola said.
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Food Outreach
The Lagos Food Bank director also explained the responsibilities of his initiative in reaching out to vulnerable families in Lagos, stating that with adequate planning, the initiative specialises in partnering with corporate organisations to reach communities on food outreach.
Mr Sunbola, however, called on corporate organisations and the government to follow the lead of the gaming company in reaching out to local communities on food outreach. He added that the increasing cost of living and disposable incomes have made living difficult for many families.
“This is the essence of what we do at the food bank, collaborating with corporates who want to carry out their CSR objectives and need a platform to facilitate it. As we speak, we work with about 170 communities.
“You can see that everywhere is calm; there’s no stampede because it is a process. They all have their cards. They have been pre-registered. So, the government and corporate organisations should take a cue from what 22Bet has done. Times are hard, people are hungry, and disposable income is depleting every day,” Mr Sunbola added.
Corporate responsibility
On his part, Fikayo Ogunfuye, Country Director for 22Bet and THX22, stated that the food outreach is a response by his company to the economic hardship in the country, which coincided with the festive period.
“This year, because it is Christmas, we decided it was the right time to give back so that people can also celebrate. We partnered with the Lagos Food Bank, and they identified approximately 200 people who will receive food items today. This is to appreciate communities in the state where we operate,” Mr Ogunfuye said.
Regarding the company’s choice of location for the food outreach, the 22Bet country director stated that the Ebute Metta community was selected to support vulnerable families, who are highly concentrated in the region. He added that 22Bet plans to reach out to more than 5,000 families in the future with the foodbox.
“We selected this location because they need help. We know this community has many underprivileged people, including retirees, widows, and widowers. Two hundred boxes are not enough. We are already considering doing 1,000 or 5,000 boxes next time.
“I can say that each box is worth over N200,000. We have been able to include a lot of foodstuffs that we believe will go a long way for each family. That is the essence of what we are doing, supporting people and making sure they have something meaningful to take home during this festive season,” Mr Ogunfuye added.
Beneficiaries
One of the beneficiaries, Hadijat Salawu, acknowledged the acceptance of the food packages, lauding the initiative’s efforts and calling on governments to take adequate measures to address the country’s economic hardship.
“We appreciate these initiatives. We will keep it for Christmas so we can see what food to eat. The government should know that we are suffering. The government is making life difficult for us. We buy things that used to cost N100 for N1,500,” Ms Salawu said.
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Olubunmi Williams, a widow, also lamented the decline in living standards of the people, saying that the government’s demolition of houses around the Ebutemeta community also made life more unbearable.
“We came to collect food because we know that these initiatives have tried for us. But the government is starving us. They are making life hard for us. I am a widow. I don’t have work. Since they demolished my house, I have not been able to work,” Ms Williams said.
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