Natural disasters are exactly what they are called – disasters! They happen so unexpectedly that no matter how prepared you are against them, there would still be some form of disorientation at first instance. This was the fate of the residents of Bayelsa State in 2022. Many lives were lost in the 2022 flood and thousands were rendered homeless as refuge camps within the state had maxed out their capacities.
Paga’s commitment to making life possible was spurred after learning of this occurrence and we immediately sprung into action. By partnering with Hilarity Grace Foundation, a Bayelsa-based NGO, we carried out a CSR project to provide assistance to about 500 families in Edepie and Igbogene communities in Bayelsa.
However, we did not stop there. Even though there were no floods in 2023, we decided to do a follow-up project to check in on the victims from 2022. We partnered with the Hilarity Grace Foundation once again to provide essential food supplies and have soulful conversations with the women of Edepie Community.
Some of the women had testimonials to share;
“…we suffered so many things during the last flood and Paga came to give us many food items that we used to survive during that period.” – Blessing Bestman
“…the food items brought helped me a lot because I just gave birth. The children and the whole family were very happy throughout the week.” – Mrs Charity
Each food package, represented a reminder that they were not forgotten, that they were part of a community that cared. It is humbling to know that our humble effort was able to inspire hope in Edepie community of Bayelsa State.
At Paga, collaboration is one of our core values (CORII). We firmly believe in the power of coming together with organisations like the Hilarity Grace Foundation to bring relief and support to communities in need.
As we continue to create new technological solutions to make life possible for Nigerians, we will always remember our service to humanity and stay committed to making life possible for all.
