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2020 – The Foodbox Project

The year 2020 was an amazing year as we were faced with diverse challenges and hurdles. The COVID-19 pandemic struck hard and lots of families, businesses, and service providers were wretchedly affected. As though that wasn’t enough, there were fallouts from the peaceful protest, affecting even more businesses, shops were looted and burnt, people source of livelihood went down in flames in a twinkle of an eye. Families lost their loved ones to the pandemic, the hardship grew even worse.

These and other reasons were why the project idea #Foodbox was initiated. We had an initial intention to feed 100 families that will not be able to provide a Christmas meal for themselves. We wanted to keep the essence of Christmas alive for many even at that hard time. The project started on November 7, 2020, and ran for six weeks.

The 2020 ConnectCharity team, led by Kim Ojirigho reached out to the public with the idea and sought funds. We then asked the public to nominate some beneficiaries for these food boxes i.e. people or families they know were struggling to put food on their tables due to the pandemic or some other hardship.

We got a total nomination of 134 families/beneficiaries and did some due diligence on the list to ascertain their authenticity by reaching out to both the nominators and the beneficiaries to hear their stories and/or reasons for nominations. Eventually, 120 families were selected.

Stories of pains people were faced with included that of some who lost their breadwinners, loss of businesses and jobs, single mums with 4 or 5 kids struggling with their businesses yet with physical disabilityies, inability to pay rent nor feed, etc.

We raised a total of 657,000 Naira from 64 donors locally and internationally via direct donations to our SOP Initiative bank account or purchase of Food boxes from our ‘Paystack-enabled’ virtual store, and this allowed us expand our reach to feed 20 more families added to the initial 100 families planned for. A breakdown of how the funds were used is below:

• 85% spent on the food items
• 8% for logistics and distribution
• 1% bank charges/deductions
• about 39,420 naira balance in the bank

We had two modes of distribution: we had those who came to pick up at our stipulated pickup venue, and we had those we delivered the food boxes to their doorsteps due to proximity challenge or disabilities. Most of these distributions were done on 20th of December and the spill overs were completed the following day using dispatch rider services.

We got beautiful feedbacks!

And we will like to have more feedbacks or testimonials in the comment section below.

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22 thoughts on “2020 – The Foodbox Project”

  1. Orkeh Grace Oghenevbare

    I am one of the norminators. I norminated 3 of my colleagues because we have not been receiving salary since March due to the lockdown. They all have peculiar situations. One is a widow with two children to cater for, the second a young newly married man just prio to the lockdown still trying to settle down to married life and the third a lady who has been the bread winner of her home since the husband list his job many years back then covid came and salary stopped. This third lady really made me appreciate God for this food box project she was too overwhelmed by the package that she called me to describe all that was given to her and to think it was delivered to her she didn’t stress to go and pick it. God bless you guys for me. Thank you so much to all the donors

  2. Mrs Ekundayo Mary AIYEPE

    Good morning 🌞. Happy New Year. I Mrs Dayo Aiyepe, I nominated The Oloyede’s family. I want to tell that up till this moment, she is still being appreciative of your kind gesture. I appreciate you so much too. I pray that GOD will replenish your purse & meet all of your needs. You doing an amazing things in putting Smiles on people faces & Joyin their. God will continue to Bless, Uphold & Shine HIS FACE over you. We shall all make Heaven in JESUS Mighty name. Your JOY shall be full in all ramifications of your life in JESUS Mighty 🙏 name. Once again you are Highly Appreciated 👍. Have a Glorious & Fruitful Year 2021. I Love you all. Remain Blessed 🙏

    1. Hi, I’m one of the beneficiaries of the food box last month,it was a real opportunity and I’m glad I was able to be a partaker. I hope this can continue every year because it really helps…
      God bless the hands that make this possible, it will never go dry ijn

  3. Wow!
    I wish this comes up every month, bcos a lot of families do not have hope of where to get food most times. For example,the family I nominated(names withheld) didn’t have any hope getting rice to cook for the kids on Christmas day, the foodbox was a huge relief to the head of the household.
    May God increase the strength of the coordinators of this humanitarian gesture.

  4. So grateful for the foodbox project because I can see a smile on the face of Mrs William’s Adetutu. She was able to celebrate the Christmas with her kids with joy.
    Thank you so much

  5. Abdulmajeed Ibn Salihu

    He’s called for notification but the later sent him SMS with a different name. They denied him coz of that.

  6. I so much appreciated your effort on this project. May God continues to bless you and those of the hands that donated and make some family not to be worried or troubled in terms of feeding during this December. The food box was given to me and what I saw inside was so amazing. God bless you all.

  7. SOP initiative is awesome. The family I nominated were overjoyed to have their meal delivered at their doorstep as they have no hope of a decent meal. I say thank you for putting smiles on many faces.

  8. I thank God for the food box,I nominated a widow who is a teacher,we are in the same school thank God,that God used this food box to put food on her table with the only son,she was very grateful to the admins and management of food box,I know what she went through during the lockdown,God bless the management of the forum for their benevolence

  9. Almighty GOD will replenish your purse & meet all of your needs to the all donors Almighty God will enrich you more… This is one of the best charity innitiatve so far..

  10. Good morning and happy new year. I’m azuka Amaka, I was registered by someone, even when the person told me I didn’t believe cos I thought it was scam, not until when I got a call from you guys, I couldn’t even make it to the venue cos it was far from me, so I forgot about it. Until the on 22 of December 2020,I got a call from the dispatch rider, he came to deliver the food box at my place of work free of charge. I just want to say a big thank you to you guys and I pray God will continue to enlarge and enrich you in Jesus name.

  11. Thanks very much for d food…it was really handy and helpful all d way… God bless d bringer and d receiver in Jesus wonderful name… Amen!

  12. Nothing gladden the heart like a smile on Christmas.
    The ability as a man to provide your family with chicken and rice.
    As I took the package, I felt like a man, raising my shoulder high as I entered the house.
    Thank you for honouring me on the front of my family.

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