The Organic Shoppe Team as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), on the 21st of September 2017, embarked on a memorable trip to Tesi-Toba, a community in the outskirts of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
The team made their first stop at the community’s only Health Centre which was in a very poor state. It lacked the basic infrastructure of a standard Community Health Centre.
Organic Shoppe team made enquires amongst the elders of the community that came around. When asked what his desire for the Tesi –Toba community health Center was, Mr. Muyideen Shofoluwe said, “he wants the hospital renovated, adequate personnel employed and drugs and medical supplies made available.”
Another member of the community, Mr. Seun Adebo said “he wants the Farmers in their community to be empowered so they can expand their farm production”
A cleaner who was found at the Community Health Centre Premises as at the time of the visit, Mr. Williams said he was being owed salary although he still comes to work faithfully. He said he chose to be faithful at his job because he didn’t want the health Centre to look abandoned.
Then the Organic Shoppe team explained the purpose of its visit and the yearly initiative called NAIRA FOR CHARITY. Organic Shoppe Nigeria is working with farmers in rural communities to help improve their level of living and to help send their children to school through its Naira for Charity campaign.
”We want to encourage farming as a viable vocation amongst the younger generation of farmers by giving infrastructural and financial support to existing small scale farmers in local communities” Ms. Moyo explained during the visit.
At the village square the team met with the village Head (Baale) , Mr. SAKA KPAKORODE, who further explained that the major preoccupation in the village was Farming and their major farm produce included; pepper, vegetable, tomatoes, banana, cassava, cocoa etc. He said that they had just started using fertilizers in their farms which was not the case before now.
The Organic Shoppe had a little prep talk with the some children of the Tesi- Toba community. It was quite difficult communicating with them in English Language as they only understood Yoruba language, although, most of them were students of the Tesi-Toba community school. After the prep talk, the team shared a school supplies pack that had books, pen, pencil, eraser, ruler, sharpener in them.
The Elders were not left out has they each got 2 packs of a fruit juice each. They said words of prayers, and they were very appreciative of our act of kindness towards them. The team bid the community farewell at 4:35pm with a promise to return with more support to help renovate the Community Health Centre. Join us as we give back to farmers in our local communities.