One of the expected side effects of the government imposed lock down has been the closure of small and medium scale businesses. Most Nigerians survive on daily wages earned doing menial tasks like bricklaying, porterage and other service based exchanges. The lockdown forces these people to stay home with little consideration for this will affect their lives and cause secondary complications. As always, Nigerians are stepping into the fray and working tireless to ensure as many of these disadvantaged people are taken care of during these trying times. As part our duty at YNaija to help, we are highlighting a number of these initiatives that you can donate to and help others.

If you are homeless or know anyone that might need this, pls send it to them. We are arranging makeshift apartments to get people off the streets. Preferably families that got kicked out of their apartments, single mothers/dads, widows, etc. Pls Dm.#COVered19 pic.twitter.com/9nznt5RZLn

— GatsBee: Stay Home (@SamuelOtigba) March 30, 2020

#COVered

Started by Samuel Otigba and inspired by volunteers like @Nelie_Whyte on Twitter, #COVered19 seeks to provide whatever assistance for people who are challenged either financially otherwise during the lock down. Food donations, cash donations and offers to accommodate homeless people during the lock down are all welcome. Please reach out either person via their Twitter handles (linked above) and do what you can.

Please: If you are not sure about the legitimacy of https://t.co/sKmt23OYJe or are simply curious, ask me questions.

I am willing to answer all of them.

Or check out https://t.co/cIGUfuiDNY.

In coming days I (and volunteers) will be doing more to communicate transparency.

— mogwai. (@TheVunderkind) April 1, 2020

Angels Among Us

Justin Irabor, an illustrator and animator based in Lagos started the Angels Among Us initiative as his way of connecting people who have been hardest hit by the economic crisis that has been created by the pandemic. The premise is simply, he has collated an exhaustive list of people with specific needs worsened by the crisis and through the site connects them with benefactors who can directly donate between N2,000 to N10,000 to their cause. The site is open to all benefactors and the people in need are generated at random so benefactors dont feel pressured to give but are allowed to do so of their own free will. Visit the site here and see if you can do your part.

Okay, for now this is the model:
Community: Ajegunle Ikorodu
Rep: Mrs Bimbo Oshobe
To donate: send me a DM and we’ll forward you the bank + contact details/closest @mypaga agent details of the person you’ll be donating to. We’ll also send photo/written evidence of receipt. https://t.co/JsS5Ukb8CF

— OluTimehin Adegbeye (@OhTimehin) March 30, 2020

Community Based Donations

Gerald D. Kraak winner, journalist and public speaker Timehin Adebgeye has long been advocating for the rights of disenfranchised in Lagos and Nigeria and she is helping Mrs. Bimbo Oshobe source community based donations for families in communities like Ajegunle. Send her a DM to help out if you can.

We will keep updating this article as we find more initiatives worth highlighting, so bookmark and be your brother’s keeper.