For many, turning 70 is a reason to throw a grand party, surrounded by friends, music, and lavish display. But for Mrs. Maria Ifunanya Alimi, a retired civil servant and mother, the milestone meant something deeper an opportunity to give more than ever before.
On her 70th birthday, she stood in the modest hall of the United African Church, Isheri, not as a guest of honour at a glittering ceremony, but as a giver. Around her were 500 residents of Isheri community in Lagos State widows, the elderly, struggling families each leaving with food items and essential supplies, each carrying a piece of her kindness home.
For Mrs. Alimi, she said, “I don’t like seeing people who are suffering, Since I turned 50, I stopped celebrating for myself and started celebrating by giving. Every year, I give to 100 people. But at 70, I told myself it had to be different, I had to touch more lives, that is the only way I know to say, ‘Thank You, Lord.”
Her generosity is not a one-off act but a lifelong philosophy. She believes true legacy lies not in material possessions or personal indulgence, but in the lives touched along the way. “If you only do things for yourself and your family, all that dies with you, but when you help others, the memory of that kindness lives on in people’s hearts.”
Her daughter, Bamitale, revealed that the project, which cost the family millions of naira, was something the matriarch had envisioned months earlier. “She told us as far back as March that this was her birthday wish, not a party, but a gift to the people. We knew the times are tough, and many are struggling to feed. She couldn’t, in good conscience, throw a frivolous celebration when the community is hurting,” she said.
On the day, the joy on the faces of beneficiaries spoke volumes. To many, it wasn’t just about the food received, but the reminder that someone cared. Community leader, Babagunde Olumakinde Ogunyemi, described the gesture as “marvelous,” noting that such selflessness is rare. “This is my first time of witnessing something like this. It shows what it means to truly live for others,” he said, offering prayers for Alimi’s long life.
