Bridging the Food Gap

In bridging the food gap by reducing hunger and starvation while raising volunteer changemakers along the way, Maduabuchi Ubani writes that the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, which is the first indigenous food bank in Nigeria, is focused on providing food relief, nutrition intervention, dietary counselling and nutrition education to vulnerable women and children across low income, underserved and far-to-reach communities. So far, the initiative has reached more than 1.7 million people across 140 communities within and outside Lagos

My first meeting with Micheal Sunbola did not exactly start on a remarkable note. No, it didn’t. You know how you never get the second chance to make the first impression, right? Well, let’s just say I didn’t quite make the  first positive impression; we didn’t exactly hit the ground running on our first meeting, and that was entirely my fault.

I have lived in Lagos for years, but on that said day, I clearly underestimated the traffic to his office on Lagos Mainland.

Not like I want to pass the blame or anything, but yes, the traffic app on my phone did state that it would take me exactly 45 minutes to get to Michael’s office.

Well, let’s just say it took me close to 3 hours to get there. So you can imagine the kind of impression I made of myself that day on our first meeting.

I got to his office, and waited for another 30 to 45 minutes, because this clearly was a busy man, and efforts were being made to squeeze me into his schedule for the day. I had already blown my chances by arriving late, and clearly, I was trying to steal the time of others. It really was an edgy situation.

Eventually, I was ushered into his office, and there was this air of uncertainty on what was going to happen next. There I was, seated in front of a man whom I promised to have a quick session with, and be on my way.

The look on his face wasn’t easy to read, but then, I just had to flow with the tide and hope for the best. I was already in his office, right? What’s the worst that could happen? So our conversation commenced.The Start of Something Phenomenal

Michael Sunbola is the Founder of Lagos Food Bank Initiative- the first indigenous food bank in Nigeria that is focused on providing food relief, nutrition intervention, dietary counselling and nutrition education to vulnerable women and children across low income, underserved and far-to-reach communities.

So far, the initiative has reached more than 1.7 million people across 140 communities within and outside Lagos.

Michael’s office at Punch Estate, Mangoro has the ambiance of flowers in the botanical garden of Singapore. And when he spoke, it was the same aura of calm and ease that he exuded.

As a trained litigator, Michael  had started and built the food bank initiative since 2016 with no prior knowledge of the development sector. My jaw practically dropped at this revelation.

In fact, he had not even volunteered for any community project before he started the food bank.

“All I had was the dedication and zeal to create a positive change,” he started. “I had quite a challenging childhood, and I remember days when I and my siblings  sometimes had to go to bed with no food in our belly. We didn’t deserve that as kids, actually, no child deserves it. 

“So starting the initiative was my way of stirring a positive ripple effect. It was my way of ensuring that what I passed through during my childhood does not happen to any mother or child. And since 2016, that’s is exactly what we have been doing. “Starting Lagos Food Bank Initiative has since made me understand you do not really need to be an expert at something before you can actively begin; what you need is the strong  to-do spirit, a good team, and the willingness to help create positive changes around you. Once you start, things will in fall place, and you will move from there. That’s what happened and is still happening to us at the food Community-based Programs

When the food bank started operation, it did not roll out all of the community-based projects at once.

In fact, the grand blueprint has always been to look into communities and point out areas that residents need urgent help.

It is this hands-on commitment and collaboration with underserved communities that has enabled Lagos Food Bank Initiative to come up with their community-based Emergency Food Assistance

The initiative started with the Temporary Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). What TEFAP does is to provide nutrition intervention to vulnerable women and children across underserved communities.

So far, the TEFAP community program has served more than 50,000 residents across more than 130 communities within and outside Lagos. The program has helped to fight hunger, starvation and malnutrition across different communities.

“Many people came to know the Lagos Food Bank through the TEFAP program, but that is not the only community projects we offer. In fact, we have six community based projects that are making positive impact across different far-to-reach and underserved communities,” Michael notedFeeding Program for School Pupils

Apart from TEFAP, there is the Education Enhancement Intervention for Food Insecure Students (EDUFOOD).

This community based program reaches out to pupils in low cost primary schools across underserved communities and feeds them for three days of the week.

The aim of the program is to reduce drop out from school due to no feeding arrangement for the child, and also to enhance the growth and well being of the pupil.

So far, the EDUFOOD program has reached out to more than 3 thousand   Pupils across 21 schools in underserved and far-to reach communitiesFood Intervention for Mothers and Malnourished Babies

Then there is the Nutritious Meal Plan Intervention for Vulnerable Mothers and Children (NUMEPLAN).

The interesting angle about the NUMEPLAN program is that  it works directly with the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across underserved communities.

So the nutritionists at Lagos Food Bank Initiative stay in touch with the officials at the PHCs, who in turn direct extreme cases of mothers and their malnourished babies to the food bank.

When these mothers get to the food bank with their babies, the babies and the mothers are given nutritious food relief that can last them for weeks and also placed on a diet plan. 

Once enrolled in the EDUFOOD program, the mothers and their babies report weekly to the food bank for supervision and progress update.

So far, the EDUFOOD program has made impact in the lives of more than 400 vulnerable mothers and babies across 30 PHCs in far-to-reach  and underserved communities.

Job Placement & Family Farming Community Programs

Apart from the Job Placement Community of the food bank which helps to connect people in undeserved communities to menial jobs across Lagos, there is also the Family Farming program which helps women in remote communities to grow their own food for consumption and for commercial sales.

The food grown by these women under the family farming program include vegetables, snails, and chickens. 

Both the job placement program alongside the family farming programs together have made impact in the lives of thousands  across hundreds of  communities.

Community Program For Diabetic Patients

The Food Bank Initiative also took into  consideration the people living with diabetes and have no funds to meals plans suitable for their health challenges.

“Looking at the diabetes challenge among vulnerable women in underserved communities made up to begin the Nutrition Intervention for Diabetes Self-Management.

“The purpose of  the program is crystal: to help provide food relief for people suffering from diabetes who cannot afford to buy food as required by their health conditions. So these women come in, and we not only provide the food, but also give them the necessary trainings that they need to stay healthy and effectively manage their conditions,” Michael stated.Bringing Volunteers Aboard

Volunteers take up the large chunk of work at the food bank. These volunteers are the ones who go into communities to pick out and tag beneficiaries who need food relief the most.

They are also the ones who help in packaging the food relief for these families across different communities, while also helping out in the other programs by the food bank initiative.

But it never used to be like this.

When the food bank started in 2016, only 245 volunteers showed up for the first community outreach. But six years down the line, the initiative boasts of more than 15,000 volunteers.

“The volunteers are (and will always remain) our strong link,” Michael stated.

“Many of them come as far as Lagos Island to give their time, skills and energy to the programs we run at the food bank. You can see the passion and enthusiasm in them to render assistance and help to positively change the narrative.

“Over the years, many volunteers have reached out to share the personal growth and development that have happened in their lives, due to their volunteering services at the food bank. We have some who have gotten better jobs, some others have improved on their skillset, and then we have others who have keyed into national and international opportunities.

“It’s heartwarming to know that we are not just absorbing volunteers, instead, we are raising positive change agents that are intentional about community development, social impact, community engagement and servant leadership.”

Working with Other Ngos

Although the food bank initiative have overtime reached out to many communities and vulnerable people in the society, the platform recently engaged other NGOs that are into food relief to help connect more vulnerable families in different underserved communities within and outside Lagos.

This engagement includes the giving of food items to NGOs that operate in different far-to-reach communities.

So far, the Food Bank Initiative has been able to distribute food items to more than 150 NGOs that are into nutrition, food relief, and hunger intervention across different communities within and outside Lagos.

“We figured that for more people to benefit from the hunger intervention program of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, we had to collaborate with other NGOs that are within our niche to help make the project a success.“The most engaging part remains that these NGOs we are working with understand the terrains within the communities they operate; They know the people who are in dire need of these food relief. So they help us reach out to these vulnerable people, and the general aim is achieved. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Final Thoughts

As our session came to its concluding part, I’m not sure Michael recalled that I was late for our meeting in the first place.

We were practically engrossed in the conversation that we lost track of time. But then, I had to take my leave, and he too, clearly, had a lot on his plate.

But before I took my leave, he made a very striking comment, one that that I am inclined to share here.

Michael said that “food systems, policies and even laws tend to be the least discussed topic in the grand scheme of things. It is not given the due attention that it truly deserves. But none of us can go a day without eating. 

“The discussion around issues like food wastage and interdisciplinary connection should be given topmost priority. And that’s what makes our work at the food bank very important. “Just we know that what we are doing at the food bank will outlive us, people who are saddled with the responsibilities of making decisions should have a long term mindset when it comes to food security and sustainability. When it comes to food, we are all involved. Every single one of us.”