The Nigerian government implemented National lockdown (quarantine) on all the 36 States in the country in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. Unfortunately, many poor people especially the elderly, disabled and the unemployed in rural areas who cannot afford daily meals are greatly affected.
Mainly, those in this rural area are the indigenes of the community while those in the urban areas are those trading or doing white-collar jobs. Some of these inhabitants are poor and aged and cannot afford to cater for themselves especially in this period of COVID 19 pandemic.
There has been a total lockdown of schools, shops, and businesses. Some of these inhabitants live from hand to mouth and can only feed themselves from their daily struggles and trades. People have been encouraged to store lots of food, stay at home and restrict unnecessary movements but many are not able to do this because they do not have enough money to purchase food items in stock. Many people will be stranded should this “stay at home” continue for up to one month, a lot of people will surely die of hunger than the dreaded COVID-19.
How is the Daughters of Divine Love responding to this COVID-19 pandemic?
Our response is in two phases.
First Phase:
Our mission at this moment is food security for our people, our charity home in Nigeria can only accommodate 50-60 less fortunate and street children at the same time. The lockdown has now been extended for another 3 weeks. These poor people need help, or they may face starvation and sickness and die. Some of these inhabitants live from hand to mouth and can only feed themselves from their daily struggles and trades so what we can do is prepare food packs for relief efforts that we can bring to the different villages. These food packs are filled with basic necessities to hold hunger like rice, tomatoes, sauce for the rice, meat and a little bit of money. Food pack provisions for one week per household of 4 members.
We also provide them with little cash and hand sanitisers to help them survive.
Assisting the poor, aged and vulnerable in this area will restore some hope to them once more and put smiles on their faces given the pandemic situation we are in now.
Proposed Summary of Budget
Food security:
Nobody is sure how long this will last so we have prepared provisions just in case it rains for a while. Our budget for an average-sized household is $130 (dollars), which is good to last them about 1 month. We plan to serve 13,500 households in Enugu, Nigeria. The total amount will be $1,755,000.00 (dollars)
Total: $1,755,000.00
Your donation will be very much appreciated.
Second Phase:
One of our on-going projects is to Give Water to the Thirsty, and we do this by installing a water supply for the village to share. Most villages have no water supply and are drinking dirty water which causes waterborne diseases among the rural areas. We shall also endeavour to provide affected families with livelihood assistance by helping them to start up small businesses to be able to withstand any shock in the future. Electricity can come later under the long-term community building program, after the Covid-19 crisis, but for now let us save our community before they die of hunger, and not the virus.
The 27 Communities in Enugu for manual water boreholes are:
Trans Ekulu, Umuchigbo, Umuenwere, Amorji, Iji, Abakpa, Nkubo, Emene, Obinagu, Nchatncha, Akpugo, Ugwuomu, Ugwogo, Neke-Uno, Neke-Odinigbo, Agba-Ogazi, Ako, Ezima, Onuagha, Ibagwa, Edem, Nokpa, Amaokpo, Alulu, Onuogba, Ogbeke, Amaowelle.
Other Facilities for generator water boreholes are- Ehalumona Health center, Generalate house Enugu, Novitiate House Enugu, Retreat House Enugu, Local school Awkuzu.
These communities are daily struggling for water and are unable to function without this basic necessity of life.
Provision of Water for each Village:
Our plan is to provide each 27 villages with a source of water. To build one manual bore hole will cost ($5,200.00) each multiply by 27 will give a total amount of $140,400.00 (dollars)
Total $140,400.00
Also, to build I generator borehole each for (1) Health center, (1) school, (1) generalate, (1) Novitiate and (1) retreat center which will cost $15,500 (dollars) each and in total $77,500.00
Total: $77,500.00
Grand Total = $1,972,900.00
Conclusion: What the Fund will do for them.
The fund will help to provide the poor with basic necessities; mainly food to alleviate starvation at the moment, hygiene products for sanitation giving the poor environment they live. In the long run it will help to provide borehole water for the 27 villages and other facilities and some cash to start own business to fall back to in a time of shock.
Your support will help us to continue in our work of feeding and taking care of the hungry and the vulnerable in our society today and restore some hope to them.
It is also our common desire to help the helpless in our society today; to make sure that the less privileged are cared for and to fulfill our mission of love.
Please donate