The federal government has again urged Nigerians to see the holy month of Ramadan as an avenue to self-organize and reawaken communal spirit.
Senior special assist to the president on school feeding, Dr Yetunde Adeniji, who made the charge, spoke on the sidelines of an iftar dinner and empowerment outreach organized by the Mass Literacy for the Less Privileged and Almajiri Initiative, MALLPAI Foundation.
The Senior Special Assistant explained that in light of the various challenges which Nigerians continue to contend with, it has become necessary for all citizens to play an active role on ensuring a positive change in the country’s fortunes.
She said, “This is a period where we as individuals should have time to sober, reflect and know that no matter what It is that we are going through or what it is that our various jobs or opportunities take us by, we should never forget community living. We should never forget whom and where we come from. So this is a time for us to remember this and then see how we can imbibe it in our everyday lives. It’s not just during the month of Ramadan that we come and share food. We should make this an everyday event of our lives for us to always come together. And that’s how peace reigns and that’s how unity comes about.”
Similarly, founder of MALLPAI Foundation, Aisha Atiku Bagudu, revealed that the foundation through several of its initiatives have empowered thousands of individuals and households through cash, food and skills acquisition training, spanning over a decade.
“This is not the first time that we’ve done this outreach. There are many organizations who do this and ours is one of them. We reach the grassroots. We reach the less privileged. We educate them. We empower them. We do a lot.
“And the reason why we started all these is to reach the Almajri, and children on the street, with no one to turn to for help.
“There are people who cannot afford to eat even a meal in a day. But by sharing this with them, you are also making them feel they are valued. That’s one of the reasons why we do what we do.“
The founder appealed to organizations and well meaning individuals to do more towards ensuring more vulnerable Nigerians get to benefit from such initiatives.
