Giving Love Can Never Go Wrong

The Story of a Different Christmas

On December 7th, my friend Sekemi posted a flyer for a Christmas outreach. I was excited to see it as it involved reaching out to children, but the location was in Lagos, while I live in Akure. I asked her if there was any organisation doing something similar in our state that we could partner with, but she said she didn't know of any. So, I suggested we come together, work on a plan, involve others, and do something similar in Akure. Her response was everything to me; she said, "Giving love can never go wrong." And that's how the A Different Christmas project was born.

We wanted to do something different this Christmas; previous ones had been the same among those we knew, but we aimed for a different approach, engaging different people who didn't have the same privileges as we do.

Between our conversation and the first official meeting on the 12th, we began building a team—individuals with big hearts who understood the vision as soon as we shared it, and of course, those capable of handling certain responsibilities. During this time, Miss B and I, part of the team, visited Ago Ireti to meet Baba Alade, the elder in charge, to gather information. We updated the rest of the team; we had found our location!

The project initiation phase concluded, and we delved into planning. We set our goals, established a feasible budget, defined milestones and a time limit, and assigned individual tasks. Our goal was to bring smiles to children's faces by spending time with them, conveying how much Christ loves them while feeding each child with 1,000 naira.

We were aware the project started late and had concerns about funding. Money was raised via crowdfunding. Although our flyer was designed a bit late, we began reaching out initially with a written copy. Even before the flyer was ready, we had raised close to half of the budget.

These kids are physically fine, but being born to parents who are lepers or severely ill wasn't a fate a child could have decided on. This is what made them less privileged compared to other children.

The day before the outreach, I and OG, the head of logistics, went for a final check and saw some of those kids playing around. We assured them, "We'll be with you tomorrow," and one of them said, "We're waiting for you." That touched me in a way I can't explain.

On December 23rd, we were with the kids at Ago Ireti. While we were still praying in the hall, they started arriving in large numbers. Although Baba Alade had told us there were about sixty children at most, we had close to a hundred in attendance.

"How did we feed them?" might be the question on your mind. Well, we did. Even though there were more than expected, Mrs. Sarah, our Food Manager, had everything under control. She had extra food and plenty of snacks that served the purpose.

Feeding them was part of our goal, but making them happy as we stayed with them was more important. We organized bible study groups on why we celebrate Christmas, quiz sessions, health expos, praise and worship sessions, prayers, games, and lots of fun.

We didn't know how much we could accomplish until we tried. A Different Christmas was truly unique. I remember sharing the progress report in our group chat as we received alerts, and my teammates would say things like, "The pace at which God helped us raise funds in a short time is miraculous." The commitment of stakeholders, both within and outside the state, the sponsors' generous attitudes, and the joyous children—these are what we are grateful to God for experiencing.

A Different Christmas project was a success, and we learned valuable lessons. We trust God for even greater works through us in the days to come. In this season of love, commit to acts of kindness around you. The reward of such acts is priceless.

Through this medium, I sincerely appreciate all who gave; you are one of our major stakeholders. The project wouldn't have been a success without you. And to the best teammates, here's a shout-out to you!

God bless you.

Wishing you a Happy New Year in advance.

See you in the new year.

~ Michael Kayode