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Most of these pleas are about basic food needs. It breaks my heart when I can’t help the way I want to. Sometimes I do what little I can and hope people understand when I’m unable to do more. I’m not someone who posts or shows off. So I don’t know what gave them the impression that I’m living well.
I guess when people don’t see you complain about Nigeria, they assume you’re comfortable and very buoyant. The truth is, the economy is biting hard on me too. I’ve just learned not to complain. I live within my means and I always buy in bulk whenever I have money, and that has helped me a lot. Even when there’s no cash, there’s food at home.
People are going through hard times and don’t know where their next meal will come from. I’ve seen people fall sick from starvation. Children are suffering malnutrition. It has never been this bad for us as a people in this country. Sometimes I pray and cry to God to bless me so I can touch lives. The pain people are going through is excruciating. Some people don’t even have helpers, no relatives to run to. Every hope of help has failed.
It’s my sincere prayer today for everyone going through this phase in life: May God show up for you in mercy and at the right time.
Statistically, Nigeria ranks 115th out of 123 countries in the 2025 Global Hunger Index. That puts it in the “alarming” hunger category. In 2024 it was 110th out of 127. We’re now at 115. Food poverty indices also put Nigeria near the bottom globally right now, and if proactive measures aren’t put in place, we’re likely to drop even lower.
When people can’t feed themselves, they turn to crime. A few days ago, a woman was caught with her 7-year-old daughter stealing foodstuffs. At that age, a child is being taught to steal by a mother who should be instilling discipline. If you’re in a better position, whatever you can do for a family or anyone, please do. The number of people begging for help online is alarming. Be a blessing to someone out there today. No matter how little, it will put a smile on the face of the receiver.
Do not mock anyone asking for an assistance to feed themselves. If you can’t help, at least, don’t ridicule them. It takes courage to ask for help, and If someone you reach out to ever gifts you from the little or abundance they have, please appreciate it and always pray for them. Only a person with a good heart can be truly kind. Don’t feel entitled.
This too shall pass.
People are going through hard times and don’t know where their next meal will come from. I’ve seen people fall sick from starvation. Children are suffering malnutrition. It has never been this bad for us as a people in this country. Sometimes I pray and cry to God to bless me so I can touch lives. The pain people are going through is excruciating. Some people don’t even have helpers, no relatives to run to. Every hope of help has failed.
It’s my sincere prayer today for everyone going through this phase in life: May God show up for you in mercy and at the right time.
Statistically, Nigeria ranks 115th out of 123 countries in the 2025 Global Hunger Index. That puts it in the “alarming” hunger category. In 2024 it was 110th out of 127. We’re now at 115. Food poverty indices also put Nigeria near the bottom globally right now, and if proactive measures aren’t put in place, we’re likely to drop even lower.
When people can’t feed themselves, they turn to crime. A few days ago, a woman was caught with her 7-year-old daughter stealing foodstuffs. At that age, a child is being taught to steal by a mother who should be instilling discipline. If you’re in a better position, whatever you can do for a family or anyone, please do. The number of people begging for help online is alarming. Be a blessing to someone out there today. No matter how little, it will put a smile on the face of the receiver.
Do not mock anyone asking for an assistance to feed themselves. If you can’t help, at least, don’t ridicule them. It takes courage to ask for help, and If someone you reach out to ever gifts you from the little or abundance they have, please appreciate it and always pray for them. Only a person with a good heart can be truly kind. Don’t feel entitled.
This too shall pass.
You see why she suggested that you can start selling akara,corn etc.
ReplyDeleteThe rate of hunger in the country is high.
Anon you didn't lie, Nigerians don't know you can also mine oil from Akara🤣😂🤣🤣
Delete©️ TEEJAY
Well written, Ezege. Hunger is a terrible thing. May God have mercy on our country and bless those in need. A woman in my village once went to collect akpu on credit from our popular akpu seller so she and her children could have something to eat that night. Sadly the seller refused because the woman already owed her money. She went back home slept and dīēd in her sleep. The akpu seller hasn't stopped grieving since that day. She keeps saying maybe she contributed to the poor woman's. She provided all the akpu served at the burial free of charge. She keeps giving akpu and other food items to the late woman's children
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad story. It takes courage to beg for help.
DeleteThanks for the compliment MeJhay.
©️ TEEJAY
Who asked them to have many children that they can’t feed? I am not heartless but some Nigerians should stop breeding Children to suffer them in this wicked world and end up guilt dripping you, if you can’t afford to help them.
DeleteHave 2 children for the sake of tomorrow, if things changed for the worst, you only have 2 to feed. If anything bad happens to 1, you have a spare. If anything bad happened to you, they have a companion. 2 is very ideal please.
ReplyDeleteIn times like these, compassion speaks louder than words. Never look down on someone asking for help. You may not know the battle they're fighting. If you have something to share, let love lead you. A little kindness can restore someone's hope.
The Bible says "Blessed is the one who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble." .(Psalm 41:1)
A heart that shows mercy reflects the heart of God. Let's be kind, help where we can, and remember that today's giver could be tomorrow's receiver. May God provide for every soul and reward every act of our kindness. Amen
Thanks for this. Very inspiring and profound.
Delete©️ TEEJAY
A female friend asked me for financial assistance, her husband's car was bad.
ReplyDeleteI told her I couldn't be of help as the money I had, I needed to use it in less than 2weeks. She said they would return it on the day I needed it, I still refused cause I felt the timeline was too slim, even tried to explain what I wanted to use it for but she wasn't listening as it wasn't what she wanted to hear.
About a week later, she sent me a link to earn money, I checked it out on AI, it looked like Ponzi, I simply said, thank you, I am not interested.
She said I should have simply said OK and walk away like others.
Thank God my daughter no carry my dirty attitude.
She has blocked me o
Truth is, she probably wouldn't have given it to you at that time,
Deleteand it would have caused a rift between both of you.
Next time, if you have something to spare, just give it out as a token of support.
Give what you know you won't ask back.
©️ TEEJAY
I am not supporting this government but people should also help themselves. Go rent a land if you don’t have any and start planting yam, veg, tomatoes, plantain anything. You can’t get it wrong with farming.
ReplyDeleteChicken poultry, goats and the rest of them. You ought to have something to do for God to bless you.
I feel very ashamed for people who beg money because I know it takes a lot of guts to do that and I haven’t got that.
I have a cousin that I have been giving money since eternity to start a business but she always comes back with stories. I then went and bought thrift worth 2 M naira and told her to sell and use the money to replenish, you know just so she was forced to start the business. I showed her where to get more and rented a shop in the market for her. What do you think happened? You guessed correctly! She came back to me and I blocked her forever.
Some people just want to be dependent on others because it is cultural in Nigeria. No body gives you a penny abroad, you either swim or sink.
Thank you for sharing such a raw, honest, and deeply moving piece. This kain piece dey touch me enter my bone marrow. Your words capture the exact reality of what so many families are grappling with right now across the country and it is incredibly painful to read, yet it serves as a raw, necessary reflection of the reality many Nigerians are quietly battling. You are not alone in your fears; logging onto social media has become a heavy burden for many. It is a heartbreaking situation, and reading about children suffering from malnutrition and people falling ill from starvation is truly devastating.
ReplyDeleteFor many nigerians, the struggle is no longer just about adjusting to the rising cost of living; it is a daily, desperate fight to know where the next meal will come from. It takes a tremendous amount of vulnerability to put these feelings into words, and every single point you raised resonates so profoundly with what many of us are experiencing right now. It is exhausting to carry the weight of the world's pain, especially when your own resources are stretched thin.
It is very painful to watch people, including innocent children, suffer from something as fundamental as not having enough to eat. When you mentioned the woman caught stealing food stuff with her 7 year old daughter, it really hits home, it forces us to realize how extreme desperation can alter a society. Stealing simple foodstuffs just to stave off hunger isn't just a sign of economic hardship...It is a societal tragedy. It is easy to pass judgment and point fingers at her parenting but we must recognize that extreme hunger can strip away a person's normal reasoning. Imagine a mother watching her child cry from starvation? She enters a state of sheer panic, and you know desperate people do desperate things. When people are pushed to the wall, their survival instincts kick in. It is a tragedy that a mother felt her only option was to teach her child to steal, but it also highlights the catastrophic failure of the safety nets that are supposed to protect our most vulnerable. Instead of quick condemnation, it should spark a broader societal reflection on how we can foster community support systems so that no mother has to choose between her child’s survival and breaking the law. Starvation doesn't just physically break the body; it can sometimes break the moral compass of those pushed entirely to the wall. No mother wants to teach her child to steal, but excruciating hunger and the complete absence of a safety net can drive people to unimaginable extremes. That little girl should be in school learning values, not on the streets learning how to steal. But make we ask ourselves: when a society fails to provide the basic safety net of food and security, who is truly to blame? The mother’s actions are a symptom of a much larger, systemic tragedy and this crisis of survival is pushing people to the absolute brink, No one wakes up hoping to beg on the internet. If we are in a position to give...whether it is a full bag of garri, a small bag of rice, a single meal, a carton of indomie for a neighbor or a struggling family or a small transfer,.. no act of kindness is ever too small. Please, let's do it quietly and without humiliating the receiver. It takes immense courage for a proud person to humble themselves and beg for food online. As you rightly pointed out, if we cannot help, the absolute least we can do is withhold judgment. Mocking or ridiculing those who ask for assistance strip them of their dignity. Kindness requires us to protect that dignity. That small token means the world to them. For those who are on the receiving end, your gratitude and prayers are a powerful currency. It shows a beautiful, resilient spirit. Even in the tightest corners, kindness and humility remain the hallmarks of a good heart.
ReplyDeleteTo everyone reading this, let this be a call to action to practice radical empathy. Please understand that the online requests we see are merely the tip of the iceberg. There are countless others suffering in silence, too ashamed to reach out for public help. If you are in a slightly better position, no act of giving is too small. Sharing a meal, offering a token, or buying basic foodstuffs for a struggling family can literally save a life. You do not need to be a millionaire to be a blessing. Share what you have, check on your neighbors, and remember that nigeria is consistently ranked as one of the most inherently generous nations in the world. We are a resilient, deeply communal people. Let us choose compassion over judgement. Do not feel entitled to luxuries when others are just praying for survival. Ridiculing those in need solves absolutely nothing and only deepens their trauma. Let us protect each other’s dignity, and remain our brothers' and sisters' keepers.This too shall pass. Stay strong, and keep being a blessing.
Happy Sunday!