By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lion International District 404B2, has distributed various food items to over 500 vulnerable persons in Ikeja Local Government Area, LGA, with a call to well to do individuals, organisations to help the needy in the present economic challenge in Nigeria.

The free-food-bank initiative tagged; “Mega Hunger Relief Outreach,” which also featured wellness symposium, exciting games and lots of fun, was held on Monday, at Ikeja Local Government Area, Ikeja.

The food palliatives include: Bags of rice, noodles, tomatoes pastes, and breads to the less privileged and other staples were distributed to both adults and youths in the area.

Speaking at the programme, the Governor for District 404B2, of the Lions Club International, (Lion) Tolulope Senbanjo, said the initiative was the organisation’s little way of alleviating the plights of the people and promoting their overall well-being in the face of the widespread hunger in the country.

Senbajo said, “Every year, we embark on projects such as hunger and disaster relief, health awareness, among others. Wherever there is a problem, we try to be there to help the needy. That’s what we do in every country of the world.”

“This is a partnership with Lions Clubs International Foundation. We are giving out food items for about 500 families. And if you average a normal family in Nigeria of four, that’s about 2,000 people that this project is going to touch their lives.

“Today we are distributing bread, we have rice, we have garri (cassava flour), We have spaghetti, we have tomato paste and a lot of other monuments that are inside those relief packages.

“Today we are also doing a wellness and nutrition health talk for people in the area to also know how to better plan their diet and live a good life. So this program is targeted to a variety of people within the community. We have the young ones who are all employed in the community. We have those who are unable to fend for themselves anymore.

“And to achieve all of these, we worked together with the Ikeja Local Government who we believe have a database of people in the community. And they have invited some of the people that benefitted today.

“The Lions believe that there is a lot of economic hardship with the land and there is a lot of hunger, particularly because this is festive season. We hope to provide support to those who cannot even afford meals in this recipe room.