Over the years, Hoffen Project, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) created to give hope to areas often ignored by charity groups, has sustained the unreserved culture of giving to underprivileged children during the Christmas festival.
This year was no different, as the NGO created memorable experiences for the underserved children in the Otumara-Ilaje community and Ebute Metta, Lagos, by organising a Christmas party on December 26, 2023.
The Christmas party featured fun games, music, and food for the children. The Hoffen Project also distributed clothes, toys, and school supplies to the children in the community.
According to the founder of Hoffen Project, Oluwatooni Akinola, the organization has embarked on the act since 2018 in the spirit of giving back to society, as the Yuletide season is a period to show love and share gifts not only with loved ones but also with the underserved and less privileged.
Akinola said the 2023 event is the sixth edition of the initiative, which had previously been held in Makoko, Iwaya, Oworo, Apapa-Ajegunle, and Agboyi areas in Lagos. “We realised that at the end of the year, most orphanages are remembered and recognised by organisations and individuals, but we also have remote areas and slums that are worse off and ignored. We then decided that at the end of each year, we would try to make them happy. This is what Hoffen is about: hope for the less privileged. We come with clothes and food, and we also give the children a good time to be merry.”
Also speaking at the event, a member of Hoffen’s board of trustees, Tinuoye Akinola, said the organisation’s long-term goal is to be a facilitator of lasting impact on communities. “We have put smiles on their faces, but food is temporary, which is why we have thought about doing something more permanent in the future. We have future plans to look at what the community lacks and try to provide it for them. Maybe water, electricity, etc. We are thinking of the bigger picture that the community, not just the children, will benefit from.”