Bringing HOPE
I just saw this quote:
"If you can afford a private hospital, spare a thought for the gate man, cleaner, the petty trader by the corner who cannot."
I want nice things in life. I want to be able to travel every once in a while, live in a nice, comfortable house, eat good food, have nice clothes. I'm getting married in May and I keep thinking about my fiance and I's finances; if we will be financially buoyant enough to afford the really nice things in life two or three years down the line.
Seeing the quote above, however, woke me up. The disparity between the rich and poor in Nigeria is heartbreaking; in the same country where people can afford to throw billion-naira weddings, 10.5 million school-aged children are not in school and for 32% of the cases, this is due to the inability of their caregivers to provide tuition.
It is heartbreaking. I'm writing this post to remind myself of the reason I am alive; to Bring HOPE to people in need, regardless of what that need might be - be it financial, emotional or mental - and to partner with them as they transition to better, self-reliant lives.
The Book of Nehemiah in the Bible narrates the story of an Israelite slave and exile, Nehemiah, who was determined to rebuild his country. He found favour with the King of Persia (or Babylon), where he was being held captive, and was given permission to go back to Jerusalem. He wanted to rebuild the wall of the great city, which had been broken and whose gates had been burnt when the Israelites had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians decades earlier.
Two things stand out to me about the story of Nehemiah: 1. He was after the welfare of his country. 2. He was only a slave but he was determined to stand in the gap, to intercede for Israel and to help rebuild it. He didn't have all the money in the world, he wasn't even a free man at the time, but he had a willing heart.
One of the reasons Nigeria is where it is today is because many of the people who supposedly want to "change" the country have ulterior motives; they're often after power and money as they "work hard to change Nigeria". But, if you're like Nehemiah, what you need to have is a willing heart and a broken spirit. Those two things work wonders; the wall of Jerusalem was indeed rebuilt under Nehemiah's supervision.
Okay, bible study eyaff finish. All I'm saying is, I'm Nigerian and I love my country to shreds. I don't intend on going anywhere or raising my kids in another country; this is my home and home it shall be, with all it's skoin-skoin. We need to rebuild Nigeria and we start doing that by having a willing heart and a humble spirit.
PS: The Love Eternity Foundation is an NGO aimed at bringing hope to people in need; the organization launches on 31st January with a visit to an orphanage in Egbeda, Lagos. You can partner with us in whatever way possible; please contact us for more information.
Have an incredible weekend!
Ibiene
"If you can afford a private hospital, spare a thought for the gate man, cleaner, the petty trader by the corner who cannot."
I want nice things in life. I want to be able to travel every once in a while, live in a nice, comfortable house, eat good food, have nice clothes. I'm getting married in May and I keep thinking about my fiance and I's finances; if we will be financially buoyant enough to afford the really nice things in life two or three years down the line.
Seeing the quote above, however, woke me up. The disparity between the rich and poor in Nigeria is heartbreaking; in the same country where people can afford to throw billion-naira weddings, 10.5 million school-aged children are not in school and for 32% of the cases, this is due to the inability of their caregivers to provide tuition.
It is heartbreaking. I'm writing this post to remind myself of the reason I am alive; to Bring HOPE to people in need, regardless of what that need might be - be it financial, emotional or mental - and to partner with them as they transition to better, self-reliant lives.
The Book of Nehemiah in the Bible narrates the story of an Israelite slave and exile, Nehemiah, who was determined to rebuild his country. He found favour with the King of Persia (or Babylon), where he was being held captive, and was given permission to go back to Jerusalem. He wanted to rebuild the wall of the great city, which had been broken and whose gates had been burnt when the Israelites had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians decades earlier.
Two things stand out to me about the story of Nehemiah: 1. He was after the welfare of his country. 2. He was only a slave but he was determined to stand in the gap, to intercede for Israel and to help rebuild it. He didn't have all the money in the world, he wasn't even a free man at the time, but he had a willing heart.
One of the reasons Nigeria is where it is today is because many of the people who supposedly want to "change" the country have ulterior motives; they're often after power and money as they "work hard to change Nigeria". But, if you're like Nehemiah, what you need to have is a willing heart and a broken spirit. Those two things work wonders; the wall of Jerusalem was indeed rebuilt under Nehemiah's supervision.
Okay, bible study eyaff finish. All I'm saying is, I'm Nigerian and I love my country to shreds. I don't intend on going anywhere or raising my kids in another country; this is my home and home it shall be, with all it's skoin-skoin. We need to rebuild Nigeria and we start doing that by having a willing heart and a humble spirit.
PS: The Love Eternity Foundation is an NGO aimed at bringing hope to people in need; the organization launches on 31st January with a visit to an orphanage in Egbeda, Lagos. You can partner with us in whatever way possible; please contact us for more information.
Have an incredible weekend!
Ibiene
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