BN Do Good 2019 Was a Bangin’ Success & We Couldn’t Have Done It Without BellaNaijarians!

Hey BNers, we did it again! BNDoGood2019 was a bang and we are super proud!

In the spirit of Yuletide and giving back to the society, BellaNaija decided spread the joy of the season with people in our community. We partnered with the Lagos Food Bank initiative to embark on the first part of the project. So, on Wednesday, the 18th of December, together with amazing BN volunteers, we went with the with Lagos Food Bank to put smiles on the faces of 100 residents of Olowolagba community in Yaba.

We really cannot thank you amazing BellaNaijarians enough. Honestly, thank you, guys. You guys were patient and fantastic. You kept going and going.

We truly have the best community… no cap! Muahh

So, as we were saying, on Wednesday the 18th of December, we headed straight to Olowolagba community.

Peep the happy #BNDoGood Team

We arrived at the Olowolagba community – our moods slightly soured by the unyielding Lagos traffic. But our sourness swiftly evaporated when the residents of the community trooped out to welcome us with smiles and eyes filled with anticipation. They danced, screamed and cheered as we walked deeper into the slums of the community – an area filled with dirt and bamboo houses built on blackened waters.

 

Carrying bags filled with macaroni, rice, garri, chips, groundnut-oil, and many food packages, the BellaNaija and Lagos Food Bank team crossed gutters, climbed on planks and stones to deliver surprise Christmas gifts at the residents’ homes.

The elderly and women who had newly born babies were also given their packages amidst tears and many thanks.

  

At the center of Olowolagba community, we treated the little children to their own special packages of cornflakes, milk, snacks and so on with our DJ blasting the latest jams and the kids having a swell time dancing to it.

 

 

After almost four hours of sharing gifts and bonding with the residents of the community, we slowly found our way out – waving and promising to always keep them in mind.

All in all, we brought love, light, and happiness to the Olowolagba community and we put smiles on people’s faces.

The BN and Lagos Food Bank Team

Final message from #BNDoGood Day 1

Guess what? It didn’t end there!

BellaNaija continued spreading love on BN Do Good Day 2.

We partnered with the great team at Slum2School for the second part of BN Do Good 2019. We wanted to give a treat to teenagers who have excelled in school this year. For us, it was beyond just academic excellence. We wanted to also factor in children who have had a difficult year and still went above expectations.

The Slum2School team were happy to work with us and together, we were able to give 25 young Nigerians a special Christmas treat.

Partnering with FilmHouse Cinemas, the kids were given the chance to watch Jumanji (The Next Level) in MX4D! Awesome? We know right!

They squeaked and screamed as the seats moved in accordance with the actions of the movie characters. When there was snowfall in the cinema, they all clapped and cheered.

 

After the movie, we all headed to Hard Rock Café where we ate to our fill. Our guests were treated to yummy meals of their choices.

Want to know what’s amazing? The kids were given customized bags with their names branded on them and inspiring messages specially written to each of them. Mad oo!  They were literally hopping on their seats.

Our dream was for the kids to have a treasured experience and we did just that! We put smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts.

Making the world a better place for all is one thing we are passionate about at BellaNaija and we can’t wait to do this again next year.

Many thanks to our  partners, Film House Cinema and Lagos Food Bank. Also, special shout out to our volunteers. We hope you join us again next year. Until then, don’t forget to help people who are in need. Let’s make the world better together. If you are thinking of a charity initiative to give to this christmas, check out the list we made out here.