Ahead of the Yuletide season, the Walkiya Humanitarian Foundation has distributed food items worth millions of naira to residents of Jikwoyi, Karu area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The exercise, held on Saturday , was aimed at providing relief to vulnerable persons struggling to meet basic feeding needs amid the country’s economic hardship.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the foundation, Dr Dominic Egwuda, said the intervention was targeted at people who could not afford their next meal.
Egwuda explained that the initiative forms part of the corporate social responsibility of the Welkya Group of Companies, which carries out its social interventions through the Walkiya Humanitarian Foundation.
According to him, beneficiaries were drawn from different religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to ensure inclusiveness and fairness.
“These women you see behind us were carefully selected from all walks of life—Christians, Muslims and people from different tribes. Our instruction was simple: we wanted people who cannot afford their next meal,” he said.
He disclosed that 500 beneficiaries, most of them women, were supported in the current exercise.
Each beneficiary received essential food items, including bags of rice, palm oil, noodles and other household necessities, expected to last between three days and one week.
Egwuda noted that the programme is an annual initiative, now in its fourth year, and that beneficiaries were selected through a transparent card distribution system within the community.
“We ensured that neither our staff nor their family members participated. The selection was open, involving residents and passers-by who met the criteria,” he stated.
Explaining the focus on women, Egwuda said women often bear the greatest burden of hunger within households.
“When you empower a woman, you empower a nation. Food is largely managed by women in the home, so supporting them directly has a wider impact,” he added.
He clarified that the programme was not restricted to widows or married women, stressing that hunger cuts across social status and background.
Egwuda also disclosed that the intervention was solely funded by the Walkiya Group of Companies, without support from government agencies.
However, he expressed willingness to partner with government and other corporate organisations to expand the reach of the programme.
“There are many people who came today without cards because they heard about the exercise. With stronger partnerships, we can reach more people,” he said.
He called on the government to create an enabling environment that would encourage more corporate bodies to engage in social responsibility initiatives.
On the cost of the programme, Egwuda said planning took about six months, with the budget increasing as the number of beneficiaries expanded.
“Although I cannot give an exact figure, we estimate that about four to five million naira was spent to carry out this exercise,” he said.
Speaking also,one of the beneficiaries, Sunday James, described the gesture as timely.
“The food assistance will go a long way in supporting my family, especially as I am here with my younger siblings,” he said.
James thanked the foundation for the support, noting that the intervention would help his family cope during the festive period.
On her part,Amaka Emmanuel, expressed delight over the gifts he received, describing the gesture as timely and impactful.
She said he was pleased with what he saw at the venue and grateful for being selected as a beneficiary.
“I am very happy with the gifts I received. I truly appreciate the organisation for this kind support,” Emmanuel said.
She prayed for the donors, asking God to bless and replenish the resources used in providing the items. According to him, “May God Almighty bless them and replenish their pockets. Whatever they spent to make this possible, may God multiply it a hundredfold, in Jesus’ name.”
