DOCUMENTARY
All around us, there are stories lurking and waiting to be told. We find them in people, places, and in little things...and sometimes in unexpected situations.
My objective is to tell those stories as consistently as possible.
Caring for the excluded in a pandemic
A report by The World Poverty Clock says Nigeria has overtaken India as the country with the most extreme poor people in the world. The Nigerian government has tried to lift its citizens out of poverty, but such efforts have failed. Systemic corruption is identified as a reason for such failure.
The failure to diversify its economy and build transport and power infrastructure, as well as equal distribution of wealth beyond the elite, have also contributed to the government’s failed attempts at reducing poverty in Africa’s most populous nation.
With an estimated population of 200 million, 86.9 million Nigerians are considered extremely poor. A person is said to be poor if he lives below the poverty line of 137, 430 Naira (USD 381.75) a year. This means that approximately 87 million Nigerians don’t earn up to N137,430 a year.
The COVID-19 pandemic further aggravated the woes of Nigerians, plunging people into poverty as many lost their jobs. Statistics recorded 42 percent of Nigerians, out of 1, 950 households surveyed who were working before the pandemic were no longer working. Another 79 percent reported that their income decreased.
To cushion the effects of the pandemic, the government of Nigeria introduced palliative schemes of cash transfers and food distribution to the vulnerable group and the aged in the country. However, the scheme was highly criticised for suspicion of corruption and poor, inequitable, and lopsided distribution. Many sections of the country were excluded and this drew angst among Nigerians and tensions rose, even as hunger spike.
However, big private companies swooned into action to augment the efforts of the government with numerous palliative programmes. NGOs also joined the chain of palliative and COVID-19 support providers to vulnerable groups.
Sustainable Impact Development Initiative (SID), a youth-led NGO was one of the many organisations that provided support to women and girls in two of Lagos’ poorest communities.
Tagged Project Aid, SID Initiative distributed palliative packages containing food items, hand sanitizers, and sanitary products to women and girls in Ilaje community during the first phase, and Agege community during the second phase. The organisation also sensitised the communities on COVID-19 safe practices.
Project Aid’s aim was to reach communities that may have been excluded from the government support schemes at a time when lockdown restrictions threatened the survival of residents.
Below are the pictures as documented by YarnNg.
Abule-Ado Explosion: An unholy Sabbath
On the 8 of March 2020, Lagos State witnessed an explosion in Abule-Ado, a sleepy community in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, leaving behind tears, blood, and deep-seated pain in the hearts of residents.
Major cities in Lagos felt the vibration and heard the sound miles away, while some buildings were also impacted.
Properties worth millions were destroyed. Over four streets away from the site of the explosion were impacted severely. Based on official records, 276 people were displaced, 170 houses were destroyed, 43 vehicles were burnt, 57 people were rescued, and 20 bodies were recovered. 7 churches were affected and 6 schools destroyed including the Bethlehem Girls College within the estate.
