Meet Victoria Akpan Kelvin-Chidiebere, entrepreneur and founder of InspireHER Nigeria, an organization that supports the Sustainable Development of Women and Youth in Nigeria. This is her #COVIDPositiveStory
Our #COVID19 project at InspireHER Nigeria was birth under our Humanitarian Projects where we give back to our society. The fact that every Nigerian is entitled to lead a healthy life inspired our hand sanitizers distribution. This led us to realize that women and children will be the most affected by the negative impact of Covid-19 and that inspired us to start the Covid-19 Hunger Relief Project to at least provide food to vulnerable women and children who are not properly assisted by Government palliative support.
We distributed Hand Sanitizers (almost 2000 bottles) and sensitized the public and Ogudu residents of Lagos state on safety measures to adopt to curb the spread. Two weeks into the lockdown after seeing the hunger and poverty caused by the effect of the lockdown in many homes, we decided to launch a Covid-19 Hunger Relief Program to Support as many families as possible. We distributed food items worth almost N5000 each to 100 families (door-to-door) in the Gamadaza community in the Federal Capital Territory and hope to distribute to more poor communities within the country.
Our #Covid-19 Hunger Relief Project is aimed at helping to reduce the impact of the pandemic and lockdown on struggling families. The program is focused on the door-to-door distribution of food items to families within the most affected states in the country. We hope to partner with well-meaning Individuals and organizations in expanding the food pantries and providing this food distribution to different communities every week for the next six weeks at least.
Beneficiaries appreciate the project and confirm that it will go a long way to make people #StayAtHome thereby making it easier to defeat the coronavirus. We hope to sustain the project through partnership and participation/donation from individuals and organizations. Yes, we hope to continue the Relief Program after Covid19 up until the economy becomes stable and people can fend for themselves again.
My personal lessons on this project have been quite fulfilling. I am learning how activism plays a major role in bringing about positive change, growth, empowerment and equality. Also, being able to mobilize my team and volunteers for this project at such short notice has shown that we have a strong organizational structure, great leadership team and a network of great minds who are willing to sacrifice their convenience for the good of others in need. Although, our communities still need a cultural shift and repositioning. Post Covid19, there has to be a reconstruction of the cultural concept of our society.
My general advice to fellow youth is love and care for each other. Your body is the only home you have, do not abuse it. Secondly, think before you act. The simple but effective process of thought will save you from making critical mistakes that could cost you your freedom, education, or your life.
