A group, Community of Sant’Egidio, has hosted over 700 children and elderly persons to a Christmas lunch in Lagos. The children were not only treated to sumptuous meals and drinks; there was also music and a dancing competition aimed at ensuring they enjoyed Christmas.

All participants in the dancing competition were rewarded with gifts, while the joint winners, Seun Salako and David Mehento, received additional gifts.
Twenty elderly persons were feted; they ate and took home raw foodstuffs, and cash.

Lagos State Coordinator, Community of Sant’Egidio, Chiedozie Mbaeri, said the yearly Christmas lunch started in 2009. According to him, it began with 50 persons, after which there has been yearly improvement and expansion in the number of beneficiaries. He said the programme once hosted 1,000 children for lunch. The number was later trimmed on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mbaeri, who said the initiative stemmed from the need to give residents a memorable Christmas, promised to increase the number next year. Salako, a resident of Makoko, thanked the organisers, saying she looks forward to the lunch yearly. “I am very happy for coming to the Christmas lunch because I would have just simply been at home. Also, I love to participate in dancing competition. This outing provided me that opportunity, and winning made me very happy,” she said.

Mehento said he enjoyed every activity during the lunch. Prophet Samson Olajide thanked the organisers on behalf of the elderly.