A member of my church has a Ministry which he uses to reach out to the less-privileged. He has been on this mission for a year, during which I have had the opportunity of knowing some of the problems confronting Nigerians. The loads of cases have been so enormous, that it is already weighing the evangelist down. If he continues this mission alone, he would probably sell off his water manufacturing company any time soon, and still be debts.
In one of the cases being handled by his Ministry, the widow of a bus conductor, who fell off his vehicle and died two years ago, happens to be one of the beneficiaries. And from all indications, helping the woman with a start-up capital for a small-scale business and paying the school fees of her three children appear not to be enough. Today, she is faced with imminent ejection from their home, because her small business cannot sustain the rent. How far can this Ministry go? This opened my eyes to the fact that charity of such magnitude is not one man’s job.
Taking a look at the TV show, Airtel Touching Lives, which airs every Sunday at 8pm on Africa Magic Channel 154, with a repeat on Thursdays, and on Saturdays on NTA at 8.05pm, I have no doubt that such a platform, provided by the telecommunication company, is the most effective way, not just for the wider reach it has in sourcing cases, but also in its efficacy of drawing other philanthropists to the mission of helping.
Although my church member tried to source help for his Ministry, the donations he often received could barely print the donation envelops.
With our familiarity with such radio and TV programmes like the late Kola Olawuyi’s Nkan Nbe and Segun Adisa’s Labe Orun (although both platforms for mysterious life stories), the broadcast media platforms, remain the best pool for touching cases, solutions, advices, and such other helps that could come in cash or kind.
It was especially pleasant to see that, following the emotional and thought- provoking premier episode of the CSR-focused Airtel Touching Lives television series, the tempo and delivery on promise has not dropped. The dynamics, emotional candour of the beneficiaries, creativity and settings used as the backdrop of the first episode remain as a recurring decimal in Episode 2. In fact, all the elements put together form a harmonious blend in the delivery of a truly captivating show that leaves one yearning for the repeat and subsequent episode.
The second episode’s opening story was a breath of fresh air – a wonderful reminder of how powerful and real the stories of the beneficiaries are and how this could be the lot of the viewer.
Blessing Danladi, a young poet living with her widowed mother Rhoda, shows us with her simple and unassuming demeanour, that dreams can be dreamt and can also be made to come alive. Her dream of becoming a doctor, and “to take care of people so they feel better,” is reminiscent of many of our childhood dreams. Her nominator, Joseph Yaba, proved that there is a river of human kindness still flowing in the hearts of Nigerians. Hearing him speak of his belief in the empowerment of the girl-child and seeing what he has been doing selflessly calls in a call to action to all of us to join in his cause and do our own bit – one girl at a time. And thanks to Airtel for offering Blessing’s mum a means of livelihood so that she can train her daughter and help her realise her dreams.
In the second episode, viewers are taken into the dangers of the motor cycle business, otherwise called ‘okada’. It tells the story of Foluso Pamilerin’s foray into this adventure, and how it has left her paralysed for the past 12 years. Adding to Foluso’s agony, her lover duped her, leaving her with a young child whom she has singlehandedly raised for the past five years.
Her immobility due to a lack of a wheelchair further highlights the odds faced by people living with disabilities and the incompatibility of many of our living conditions to fit in with their situations.
Blessing and Foluso, like the widow in the case of my church’s Minister, are a microcosm of the stark realities of our lives and deliver on the promise that with a little hope, much can be achieved.
It is heart-warming to know that callers into the programme have not left it all to Airtel, with some philanthropists clearing the bills for some of the cases. Of course, this is just episode two, but it truly felt like a statement effort; an effort to continue to awaken a cycle of giving among Nigerians.
By visiting www.airteltouchinglives.com, you could tell your own story, nominate someone in problems or simply learn the ‘Strange But True’ stories of life.
