With Touching Lives, Airtel Keeps Hope Alive

BEYOND its entertainment value, Airtel Touching Lives, a CSR-focused television series, has continued to put smiles on the faces of many Nigerians, who have benefitted from its numerous life changing opportunities. And following the emotional and thought- provoking premier episode of Airtel Touching Lives, the tempo and delivery on promise has not dropped. 

    The dynamics, emotion canduor of the beneficiaries, creativity and settings used as the backdrop of the first episode remain as a recurring decimal in episode 2. In fact, all the elements put together form a harmonious blend in the delivery of a truly captivating show that leaves one yearning for more.

      Showing on Sundays on AfricaMagic channel 154 at 8pm, the second episode’s opening story was particularly different, a wonderful reminder of how powerful and real the stories of the beneficiaries are and how this could be the lot of the viewer. Blessing Danladi, a young poet living with her widowed mother Rhoda, shows with her simple, unassuming demeanor, that dreams can be dreamt and can also be made to come alive.  She has turned her love of spoken word into a skill, amazingly beyond her years and circumstance. Her delivery of a poem she wrote rivals that of many a spoken word artistes and gives hope that this blooming art-form has a body of upcoming practitioners.

    Her dream to be a doctor “to take care of people so they feel better” is reminiscent of many of our childhood dreams. Her nominator, Joseph Yaba, proved that there is a river of human kindness still flowing in the hearts of Nigerians. Hearing him speak of his belief in the empowerment of the girl child and seeing what he has been doing selflessly, calls for every well meaning Nigerian to join his cause and do our own bit – one girl at a time. And thanks to Airtel for offering Blessing’s mum a means of livelihood so that she can train her daughter and help her realize her dreams.

    Many have at one time or the other taken part in the adventure that is known as okada riding and many still do. However, Foluso Pamilerin’s foray into this adventure that was a daily routine in her life has left her paralyzed for the past 12 years; her story came alive in the new episode. With long years of staying indoors and being unable to care for herself independently, it could have been anyone. As though that was not enough, her lover duped her and left her with a young child, who she has singlehandedly raised for the past five years.

    Hearing her speak of the depression she fell into and the strong pull for her to end it all reminds one that many have fallen into this pit of darkness and shines a light. The fact that Foluso is here today is evidence of the strength of her character in the face of the daunting odds against her. Her immobility due to a lack of a wheelchair further highlights the odds faced by people living with disabilities and the incompatibility of many of our living conditions to fit in with their situations.      

    Foluso, a natural born survivor, has turned her immobility into a small business, beading herself a new life and providing training to others. 

In her own zeal to survive, she is empowering others to survive their own situations to become entrepreneurs.

    Blessing and Foluso are a microcosm of the stark realities of our lives and deliver on the promise that with a little hope, much can be achieved. For now, it’s time to celebrate these lives that have been touched by Airtel. Of course, this is just episode two, but it truly felt like a statement effort – an effort to continue to awaken a cycle of giving among Nigerians. With the trend of the past two episodes, there is a strong chance that the coming weeks can follow through on this promise.