Gems Heart One Love Foundation

29/07/2025

Hunger in Nigeria – A Call for Empathy and Humanity
In Nigeria, hunger is not just a statistic; it’s a daily reality that strips dignity from millions. The Yoruba proverb, “Bi ebi ba ti wo inu, oro mi o kin wo” (“When hunger enters the stomach, other words lose their meaning”), captures the overwhelming weight of food insecurity. Hunger overshadows dreams, health, and hope, demanding our collective empathy and action to restore humanity to those affected.
The Scale of Hunger in Nigeria
Nigeria faces a staggering hunger crisis, with 33 million people projected to face acute food insecurity in 2025, up from 26.5 million in 2024. In the northeast, particularly Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, conflict has displaced 2.2 million people, leaving 4.4 million food insecure.
Nationwide, 17 million children are malnourished—the highest in Africa—and 5.4 million children and 800,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women face acute malnutrition. Floods, triple-digit food price inflation, and insurgency disrupt markets and farming, making food unaffordable even when available. The Global Hunger Index ranks Nigeria’s hunger levels as “serious,” with 38% of children under five stunted, hindering their physical and cognitive growth.

Empathy and Sympathy: Beyond Feeling to Action
Sympathy stirs our hearts when we hear of tragedies like the recent stampedes at food distribution events in Ibadan, Okija, and Abuja, where desperate crowds sought aid. These incidents reveal the depth of economic distress. Sympathy lets us mourn for those who go to bed hungry, but empathy pushes us further—it’s feeling the gnawing emptiness of a mother like Hawo, who perseveres to feed her family despite displacement. Empathy drives us to act: to volunteer at a local food bank, support programs like Action Against Hunger’s “Porridge Moms” that teach mothers to prepare nutritious meals, or advocate for policies addressing root causes like conflict and climate shocks.

Food as a Symbol of Humanity
Food is more than sustenance in Nigeria—it’s a cultural cornerstone, from jollof rice shared at celebrations to pounded yam that binds families. Yet, for many, these meals are out of reach. Programs like the World Food Programme’s school feeding initiatives in Chad, which could be expanded in Nigeria, show how food can restore dignity, keeping children in school and easing parents’ burdens. Food connects us to our humanity, reminding us that ensuring no one goes hungry is a shared responsibility. As someone on Social media noted, “There is food in Nigeria. It’s just money to buy it that is the problem.” This highlights the need for economic solutions alongside food aid.

A Path Forward with Humanity
Ending hunger in Nigeria requires both immediate relief and long-term strategies. Humanitarian efforts, like WFP’s cash transfers and local food procurement, inject resources into communities while supporting local farmers. Investments in climate-smart agriculture—such as drought-tolerant seeds or solar-powered dryers—can bolster resilience against floods and droughts. Empowering women and youth, who face barriers to land and finance, is critical, as closing the gender gap could lift millions out of hunger. Above all, we need collective action: governments, communities, and individuals working together to ensure food is a right, not a privilege.

Reflection Question for the Week: How can you channel empathy into a small action this week to support someone facing hunger in your community?

Written by


Communication officer

28/07/2025

In Nigeria, a person with a disability faces an uphill battle to secure a livelihood and often finds themselves in the throes of hunger. Poverty, for them, isn't just a challenge; it's a relentless shadow, often inextricably linked to their disability.

​The Daily Struggle for Survival
​For many Nigerians with disabilities, the simplest act of finding food becomes a Herculean task. Societal discrimination, limited access to education and employment, and inadequate infrastructure conspire to marginalize them from economic opportunities. Imagine a visually impaired individual trying to navigate a bustling Lagos market to sell wares, or a person using a wheelchair attempting to access public transportation to get to a job interview in a city with few accessible ramps or buses. These daily realities highlight the systemic barriers that prevent them from earning a living wage.

​Many are forced into begging, a demeaning act driven by desperation rather than choice. Even then, the returns are meager, barely enough to cover one meal, let alone consistent sustenance. Families with a disabled member often bear an added financial burden due to medical expenses, assistive devices, or specialized care, further plunging them into deeper poverty.

​Poverty: The Unspoken Twin of Disability
​In Nigeria, the relationship between poverty and disability is a vicious cycle.
Disability can lead to poverty due to lack of employment and educational opportunities, and poverty, in turn, can exacerbate disability by limiting access to proper healthcare, nutrition, and rehabilitation services.
​The absence of robust social safety nets means that when a person acquires a disability, or is born with one, the financial shock can be devastating for the entire household. Without government-backed disability benefits, unemployment support, or accessible vocational training programs, individuals are left to fend for themselves in a highly competitive and often unforgiving economic landscape.
​Furthermore, cultural stigmas surrounding disability in some communities can lead to ostracization, further limiting opportunities for social and economic integration. This isolation can compound their struggles, making it even harder to break free from the shackles of poverty.

​The Way Forward
​Addressing the plight of Nigerians with disabilities requires a multi-pronged approach:

​Enforcement of Disability Rights Laws: Nigeria has a disability act, but its implementation remains weak. Strict enforcement would ensure better access to education, employment, and public spaces.

​Inclusive Education and Vocational Training: Providing accessible and quality education, coupled with relevant vocational skills, can empower individuals with disabilities to secure meaningful employment.

​Accessible Infrastructure: Investing in infrastructure that caters to the needs of people with disabilities (ramps, accessible transportation, accessible public buildings) is crucial for their participation in economic life.

​Social Protection Programs: Implementing comprehensive social welfare programs, including disability benefits and unemployment support, would provide a much-needed safety net.

​Awareness and Sensitization: Challenging societal stereotypes and promoting inclusivity through public awareness campaigns can foster a more accepting and supportive environment.

​Until these fundamental issues are addressed, poverty will continue to be an unwelcome companion to disability in Nigeria, perpetuating a cycle of hardship for a significant portion of the population. Empowering people with disabilities is not just a matter of human rights; it's an economic imperative for national development.

Written by
Glynid1
Communication Officer
Gems Heart team

05/09/2023

HAPPY SCI INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS DAY....

Key facts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) :

~ Every year, around the world, between 250 000 and 500 000 people suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI).
~ The majority of spinal cord injuries are due to preventable causes such as road traffic crashes, falls or violence.
~ People with a spinal cord injury are two to five times more likely to die prematurely than people without a spinal cord injury, with worse survival rates in low- and middle-income countries.
~ Spinal cord injury is associated with lower rates of school enrollment and economic participation, and it carries substantial individual and societal costs.
~ People with spinal cord injury are 2 to 5 times more likely to die prematurely than people without SCI.
~ Misconceptions, negative attitudes and physical barriers to basic mobility result in the exclusion of many people from full participation in society. Children with spinal cord injury are less likely than their peers to start school, and once enrolled, less likely to advance. Adults with spinal cord injury face similar barriers to economic participation, with a global unemployment rate of more than 60%.
~ Costs of spinal cord injury are higher than those of comparable conditions such as dementia, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.
~ Many of the consequences associated with spinal cord injury do not result from the condition itself, but from inadequate medical care and rehabilitation services, and from barriers in the physical, social and policy environments.

If you feel you can help and support the spinal cord injury association in Nigeria
Contact me 09026497098

Funmilayo Mobolaji
CEO of Gems Heart One Love Foundation

Lagos State PRO of spinal cord injury association

https://linktr.ee/gemsheartonelovefoundation

16/04/2023

16/04/2023