I Just watched Comic Relief and saw £57 million has been raised for charity. Tears almost came to my eyes when I saw the suffering lack of Vaccination was causing in Africa and this is one major focus of the Charity.They are also helping people with HIV, water supply etc . Today at my office in the UK, colleagues all hustled to raise funds from our clients to donate money for this charity.
I felt so sad when I think of the things I saw when I lived in Nigeria. I knew a few people who were very open minded about helping people they did not know but most people do not help anyone they do not know. I also seems to me the tendency to care for our extended family is gradually fading .
Our so called politicians are busy stealing for their personal comfort , civil servants stealing, we are so concerned about our expensive clothes , cars phones etc but we all completely ignore the poverty and suffering that surrounds us in our towns and villages .
It amazes me the incredible capacity we Nigerians as a people have for ignoring the suffering of others but go to church and try to bribe God who knows and sees all with 'TITHES'. A friend once explained this using the concept of the slave trade where people connived to sell their relatives and fellow tribesmen for a bottle of Gin , he said this mentality still continues .
You may wonder why I sound this way but the combination of seeing this level of Charity and what friend who just returned from Nigeria told me has set me off. His young wife has just died leaving kid under 5 years old and the family could only ask for 2 million Naira .
PS Here is another story of uncommon selfless charity
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-20815408