Disadvantaged Families Receive Love From Save Our Needy's Santa

Our annual initiative "Santa Comes To Visit" has come and gone but it left indelible marks in the hearts of families.

Disadvantaged families (widows and single-mothers and their children) got surprise visits from Save Our Needy as we played to them, providing them with food items, clothing, and toys to enable them to celebrate the yuletide season.

We were very glad to make several children's dreams come true and put smiles on the faces of families who had lost all hope of ever celebrating the yuletide season.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Shoprite Community Network for their unwavering support of this impactful initiative.

Happy New Year!

"Santa Comes To Visit" Initiative Puts Smiles On Families Faces This Yuletide Season

Christmas is a time to share goodwill and spread love. Save Our Needy reached out to widows, single mothers and struggling mothers this Christmas through our annual Christmas initiative entitled "Santa Comes To Visit." This is the 3rd year of the initiative and the theme was "Fill A Goodie Bag Campaign."

Verdant Zeal Marketing and Communications Company organized an Xmas party for some past beneficiaries of SON projects as well as the SON team

The Save Our Needy team visited the homes of lucky beneficiaries armed with goodie bags filled with food items, clothing, toys and toiletries. The initiative aims at restoring hope and smiles in the homes of the downtrodden during the yuletide season.

Some of the gifts SON donated to disadvantaged families

Marvella Odili (CEO, Save Our Needy) playing Santa to the Nwabueze family

Time to dig into the goodie bag

This year, more than 30 families were visited due to the long list of requests for assistance received. The beneficiaries were selected after careful investigation to ascertain their claims of being needy people. The women who benefitted from the program are going through a lot of hardship. Two of the women visited presently live in their shops because they cannot afford to pay house rent.

Mrs. Adeola and her daughters were very happy to get a surprise visit from the SON team

They exuded so much excitement as they admired their gifts

Mrs. Esther Bassey and her children were happy to see Santa

Lots of goodies for every member of the family

Mrs. Bassey excitedly checking out the goodies in her goodie bag

Meet some of the families visited:

Mrs Adeola, who has single-handedly been taking care of her 5 children ever since her husband abandoned them with no means of survival. Most times they all end up sleeping in her shop. They barely have food to eat and worse still, they were sent packing recently due to her inability to pay the rent.

Ms Esifa opening gifts for herself and her son

Mrs Opeyemi presently lives with her aged parents. She has been responsible for the upkeep of her 3 children for the past 3 years since she left her marriage due to constant domestic violence.

Ifeoluwa's mom ( a widow) was very happy to show off her new dress

Jerry Odili, Save Our Needy Program Manager, with Ifeoluwa's family

Lots of smiles as Ifeoluwa surprised her mom with our visit

Mrs. Nwabueze is a widow who lost her husband last year after a long-standing illness. The illness rendered her family penniless and now they live from hand to mouth in a shoddy one-room apartment.

Mrs. Ubah admiring a lovely dress for her daughter, little Nicole

Mrs. Ubah and her little ones were overjoyed

Mrs Ayeyemi was a beneficiary last year. She is a young widow who lost her husband to cancer. We reached out to her again this year because her situation has gotten worse. She has relocated with her 3 children from Ikotun to a very remote part of Lagos because of her inability to pay the high rent.

So much joy in the Ayeyemi household as Santa came to visit

Little Simi admiring one of the dresses given to her

Little Simi shows off another beautiful outfit

The Ayeyemi children with their gift of toys and food items

Mrs. Bassey, a seamstress, is a widow who practically lives in her shop with her 3 children because she can't afford to pay for an apartment.

Rachael expressed so much happiness as she got gifts for herself and her daughter

Opening presents

Rachael was so happy to see another beautiful dress for her daughter, Emmanuella

After a week long of activities, the SON team rounded up visits on December 27th. Special thanks to Verdant Zeal Marketing and Communications (International) company, who went all out to get donations for this initiative under their ''Good Cheer Initiative''. We also thank the Shoprite Community Network, Keystone Bank and PEP Stores for their wonderful support.

Read below some of the appreciative messages from beneficiaries of the "Santa Comes To Visit" initiative. These beneficiaries are blog visitors (BVs) from Stella Dimoko Korkus blog: www.stelladimokokorkus.com

Nne nwa28 December 2016 at 14:26

a big shoutout to Save Our Needy, these people put a smile on a face in spite of hardship and recession.

they came over to my home and gifted me a lot of gifts for Christmas celebration(that was on 24).

now today they called me over to come get a box of clothes for i and my kids. they even foresaw my forth coming job next year and gave me corporate wears.

just as you have put smiles on my face this season, turned my sorrow to happiness, may God locate your every need. thank you, thank you, thank you. may you never know lack throughout your life.

Anonymous28 December 2016 at 15:26

This is to say a big thank you to SAVE OUR NEEDY....am too siprised to say anything, I wasnt even qualified for the giveaway becoz am not based in lag....but the took the pain of going to do waybill just for me and my unborn....may God bless and reward you all....Stella words just can't describe your person...all I can say is God will bless and reward you...my husband was shocked to see the gifts....hahahahah at last my everyday browsing paid off... According to him...
God bless you all

....from BV joy A...Stella you should know who.

Anonymous28 December 2016 at 14:02

I wanna say a very big thank you to save our needy for making this Christmas celebration a memorable one for my son. It's not been easy as a single mum. I benefitted from them last year. So this year, I was contacted again even without applying for the giveaway and i was blown away by the massive love shown to my son and I. Mere words can't express how grateful I am. I got clothes, shoes, rice, vegetable oil, toy, noodles even frozen chicken and some other things. Thank you save our needy, may God continue to bless and uplift you. Thank you Stella for the medium being used to touch people's lives. May God bless you too. Attached are pictures. I'm sorry they are not clear.

Bv Blessing

Shoprite Partners Save Our Needy On School Rehabilitation Project

On July 27th, Save Our Needy in partnership with the Shoprite Community Network (charity arm of Shoprite) commissioned a block of 5 classrooms at St Martins Nursery and Primary School, Mushin, Lagos. The entire school block was rehabilitated under the project ''Better Life Through Education.''

The project which primarily aims at improving learning conditions of pupils attending low-income (public) schools and promoting early childhood development (ECD), was attended by dignitaries and  representatives from Ministry of Education, Lagos State Basic
Education Board (SUBEB) and Mushin Local Government.

Official commissioning of school block by Adekunle A. Julius (Sole Administrator, Odi Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA)

L - R: Teachers of St Martins Sch., Jerry Odili, Marvella Odili, Adekunle A. Julius, Mrs Nwankere (Head Teacher)

Inspecting work done on classes

Front gate of St Martins School

 

Commissioning plaque

During the course of the project, broken ceilings and leaking roofs were fixed, damaged floors were repaired, classrooms and the entire school block were painted. The classrooms were also equipped with whiteboards. 

St Martins School and the Mushin community were selected as beneficiaries of this phase of the project because of their high population density and high poverty rate. 

Classroom transformation (before and after)

Classroom transformation (before and after)

School block transformation (before and after)

In her speech at the joyous occasion, the CEO of Save Our Needy, Marvella Odili, emphasized that "quality education for every child should never be compromised. All children irrespective of their social backgrounds, have the right to study in a conducive and peaceful environment. That is non negotiable."

"Better Life Through Education" was launched in August 2015. More than three schools in Lagos State have benefited from the initiative so far.

Dance performance by pupils of St Martins School

Visit the Save Our Needy website to know more about this project and other ways Save Our Needy is positively influencing lives: www.saveourneedy.org
facebook.com/SaveOurNeedy

Twitter: @SaveOurNeedy

Testimonies From "Santa Comes To Visit" Initiative

The initiative "Santa Comes To Visit" may have come and gone but it remains indelible in the minds of all those who benefited from our generosity. Lucky families were asked to apply for the giveaway via popular Nigerian blogs: Stella Dimoko Korkus (SDK) blog and Nairaland. They were asked to state reasons why they needed the support and also give their personal details.

Testimonies abound of how happy we made families last Yuletide season; from December 21st to December 31st 2015.

Below are happy narratives from some of the beneficiaries:

Ms Blessing Esifa (single mother) from Ifako, Gbagada-

THANK YOU SAVE OUR NEEDY

I wanna say a BIG THANK YOU to save our needy NGO for putting a smile on my face.
A post was made on Dec 12th in IHN for Santa giveaway which I applied for because I'm a single
mum with a 3yr old son. I've been solely responsible for my son's upkeep right from birth.
My help finally located me through save our needy NGO. A man and a woman came to my
house with a massive Ghana must go bag filled with lots of goodies ranging from noodles,
groundnut oil,milk,cornflakes, toothpaste,cream, soap, sugar, jam, tin tomatoes, five alive, a
bedtime story book, a pair of shoes, frozen chicken, rice and plenty clothes. I burst into tears
when I saw those things especially the clothes because as at time, there was no foodstuffs at home neither did my son have clothes to wear as the little clothes he has were already faded and small. I'm so grateful. Thanks a million for putting a smile on my face. May God enrich save our
needy NGO and bring more sponsors that will fund it.
Thanks a lot Stella for making this happen. Wishing everybody a very merry Christmas and a
prosperous 2016 ahead.


Ms Aduralere Odeyemi (single mother) from Aradagun, Badagry-

SAYING THE LOUDEST THANK YOU TO SAVE OUR NEEDY
Madam Stellla ooooooo,save our needy came to my house live in badagry o, they brought
indomies, clothes for my son, toys, shoes, rice, and all sorts..... oh dunno how
to say thank you, pleassssssseee help me post this in appreciation o!  thanks so much.

Mrs Kazeem (widow) & Bola from Barracks, Badagry-

SAVE OUR NEEDY THANK YOU OOOOOO
I want to appreciate save our needy for the love they showed to my friend Mrs Kazeem whose husband was killed by boko haram in bornu state.I applied for giveaway on her behalf last
year,they came and gave her many gifts in which i was not left out.This year,they also remembered her even without applying for their giveaway.They brought foodstuffs,provision,clothes,a package from shoprite and so many other things that i can't mention.I Was also not left out as they gave me gifts also.May God bless you abundantly in jesus name,you shall go from glory to glory and from strength to strength.many thanks to SDK for this platform,may God bless you abundantly in Jesus name.
from bola

Mrs. Abiodun Adedayo (widow) from Ikotun-

APPRECIATION TO SAVE OUR NEEDY
Compliments of the Season to you, Stella. I say kudos to you for the good work that you do and I pray that God reward you exceedingly with good success. Stella, I write to appreciate the Save Our
Needy Organisation for their kindness and Love towards my Family and I. They visited us
and came with beautiful designer shoes,dresses,foodstuff,beverages. It is a pity that
my phone cannot attach pictures. It is indeed true that God still rules in the affairs of men. We would be celebrating Christmas happier since about five years. Our prayer is that d organisation grows from
strength to strength and that  God grant the hearts desires of the initiators and contributors of
the project. We are grateful.

Chinwe Adeyinka Ayeyemi (widow) from Ikotun-

THANK YOU TO SAVE OUR NEEDY

Stella nwunye Korkus, I hail you oooo, you have been saving lives since long time ago, and today am so grateful to you for using this platform to reach me a poor widow like me. I saw the post on your blog and I apply for it.
Save our needy organization visited me and my children today and brought to us, foodstuffs,cloths, beverages, books,shoes, as if they knew I was not having Handbag, lol, they also brought for me and so many other things. They are so nice to me and my children, so friendly and fun to be with. What can I say than to say thank you Lord., thank you Stella, it's only God that can reward you, thank you save our needy, you will never run dry, you will grow from strength to strength, Am short of words. Am so grateful to you.  May God bless you.

Ms Marian Onu (single mother) from Iba-

THANK YOU SAVE OUR NEEDY

Save Our Needy may God continue to bless u guys for putting a smile on my face, and for the beautiful cloth u gave to my girls, the foodstuff and toys u gave to my kids. May d blessings of d Lord never depart from u guys.

"Santa Comes To Visit" initiative

The SON team made the last Yuletide season memorable for 15 disadvantaged widows and single mothers as well as their kids as we paid them surprise visits in their homes armed with big goody bags, from December 21st-December 31st 2015.

An excited family receive the SON team in their home at Ikotun, Lagos.

Mrs. Ayeyemi, who lost her husband to cancer last July happily poses with her kids

So much excitement and smiles as the SON team reveal the gifts

The SON team gladly plays Santa to Mrs. Ayeyemi and her family.

Opeyemi and Eniola, already deeply engrossed in the story books donated to them.

 It was as much fun as it was emotional as a widow who lost her husband to cancer, a widow who lost her husband to Boko Haram, a single mom who never had any form of support since she birthed her son, another single mom, victim of domestic violence and so many others shared their stories with the SON team. They were given gifts of food items, clothing, shoes, toys and toiletries.

Little Sarah and her brother strike a pose with their new toys

Little Sarah (5), shyly shows off her new top

Ms Onu, a single mother living in Iba, Lagos, shows appreciation as she receives gifts for herself and her kids

Little Chantal is happy to get new dresses for Christmas and the New Year celebrations

The smile on the faces of the kids as well as their mothers was so rewarding and priceless.

Mrs. Kazeem, a widow who lost her husband to Boko Haram attack, is so grateful we played Santa to her and her family

Mrs. Erayoma, a victim of domestic violence, was very thrilled to receive the SON team in her family home in faraway Ikorodu.

Little Opeyemi and her siblings are grateful to be celebrating Xmas again after their dad abandoned them 3 years ago.

                   Ms Aduralere, a single mother, excitedly unveils gifts she received from the SON team

All smiles as 3 year old Chibike got unexpected gifts for the yuletide season.

 

Ms Blessing, a single mom from Ifako, Gbagada, Lagos, was so overjoyed that she teared up

"Santa Comes To Visit" is an annual project initiated by Save Our Needy to provide relief to the disadvantaged during the Christmas season and to usher in the New Year celebrations.

Gifts of food items, clothing, shoes, toys and toiletries are donated to needy widows and single mothers during this period.

Mrs. Adedayo, a widow, who recently survived gunshot wounds from a robbery attack was really happy to welcome the SON team

A very big THANK YOU to Shoprite Community Network, Verdant Zeal Marketing and Communications Company, Madrew's, Baby Crib (23, Idimu road, Egbeda bus-stop, Lagos) and Stella Dimoko Korkus blog, for generously supporting us.