COVID-19: I have never had it this bad In 13 Years of Running A Children’s Home- CEO Lumina Foundation

A Nigerian Author and the CEO of Lumina Foundation, the administrators of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa, Ogoochukwu Promise has stated in her blog, ogochukwupromiseblog.com that she has never had it this bad in 13 years of running a children’s home.

In a lengthy article, she stated that despite the disappointment her Children’s home has been experiencing since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, that God has been introducing new measures to sustain them.

Read full statement below:

“This is a dreary period in almost everyone’s life. Activities have stalled, movement too, businesses have been put on hold, schools closed and even prayer places are locked up. Things got progressively bad as some ATM machines would not dispense funds. I had the further misfortune of having my ATM card trapped in the machine

In my 13 years of running a children’s home, I have never had it this bad. All the systems we put in place to yield funds for the children were badly affected. But God introduced new measures. He showed us things we did not know were there before. We began to rake up old food from freezers. We learnt to boil water rather than buy bottled water. The children and I became great managers of lean resources. Where we had lacked tact, we became very judicious. At a point, we had only three hundred Naira left and we remained resilient. One of the kids in charge of bursary came up with a new menu for the home that included most of what was available at home and excluded what wasn’t. We reduced the number of meals at some point, went off beverages and lived mainly on pasta and occasionally beans and vegetables to balance the diet.

Each time the lockdown got extended, we held hands and agreed firmly that we will beat all the odds. We thanked God for the way the pumpkin and water leaves in our garden were flourishing. I have never seen these children so resolute, so indomitable as they came up with ideas. We got so much from the little garden we had done a while back: Vegetables, tomatoes and peppers, that they truly spiced up our meals. The children got more and more industrious, creative and shared fish, meat, whatever got placed on the meal table, they ate with relish as though they were the best things ever. They planted beans. I marvelled at their vivacity and courage. Most of them grew overnight in outstanding wisdom, doggedness and patience. I am so proud of them. I thank the good Lord for bringing out the best in them.

Siesta time was still observed and study time got a bit prolonged since they are on mandatory holiday. Instead of reading a little book a week and get paid N500 as was formerly the practice, they read two little books a week and got paid nothing. They understood and shared what they learnt. Their excitement did not wane. It filled my heart with joy that they were no longer reading for what they would be given at the end of the day but indeed, for leisure. Oh my! It gives me a beautiful feeling!

I cannot wait for Monday to arrive so I can again fill our baskets with fruit for them and their favourite beverages and get their favourite programmes back on their TV screen which has been fallow and “sleeping” now for many weeks since I could not subscribe for their favourite educational channel. I promised to get them pizza but the oldest said, “Mom, we will make it as you taught us. Just get us more condiments to add to the little that is left. We will make pineapple drinks too. Just get us cloves and pineapples! We still have a little sugar left!”

I am writing this, wearing my dancing shoes, the flat ones, my lovely children to celebrate you all. You are my heroes. Stay strong, stay brilliant! Stay safe and ever so self-confident, ready to face the world and rule it. Love you loads, sweeties!”.