The Real Acts of Kindness (RAK) Foundation on Saturday, inaugurated a borehole project built by the foundation for residents of Ijanikin community in Otto-Awori LCDA, Lagos state.
Inaugurating the water project at Ijanikin, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende, the Pioneer of RAK, said that the motive behind the project was to ensure residents had access to potable water.
“I do not know anyone here. I don’t have friends or relatives, but I received a call on July 1, seven days ago, about this community lacking water and I decided to come and help.
“Hearing that people have to pay for clean water to take a bath and prepare their meal was the ignition that stirred me to embark on the provision of ‘Community Water Project’ for the people of Ijanikin.
“I was shocked to hear that at this present age, we could still find a community without water.
“It was a community request made by an elder in this community. It is out of our jurisdiction but with the nature of the request being water it is important to human living.”
Ogunlende said that the foundation was able to complete the project within five days through the assistance of youths in the community.
“We used local expertise as direct labour for the work.
“We also purchased all materials such as cement, plumbing materials, iron, granites and others from sellers within the Otto Awori community as a way of patronising and growing their local economy.
“We are not just providing them with water, we are also donating a generator set for easy pumping of water from the borehole so that water will be available consistently.”
Ogunlende urged residents of Ijanikin to take cue from the project and begin to contribute their quota to the community and the world at large.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Mr Jide Thompson, commended RAK foundation for swift response and action after receiving the message.
“I have been in this community for 30 years now, and I have witnessed one government to another, but one thing I have observed is that there is no water in the community.
“When we wake up in the morning, there is no water; when I come to the office, I hardly find water to use for certain things.
“Having it in mind that the government cannot do everything, I started looking around, so I started calling my media colleagues in Badagry.
“Fortunately, I contacted the foundation through a friend, Zosu Solomon on Friday.
“We came to inspect it on Sunday and on Monday the work started as we saw tipper coming to drop sand, granite, blocks, iron and others building materials.
“It was really like a magic. I have not seen a government that put in place a borehole within one week, even two weeks but RAK did in just 5 days,” he said.
“I also pleaded that they should use our people for the job, and they approved it.
“This one you have done, God will continue to lift you up,” Thompson said.
Also speaking, Mr Sunday Samuel, an elderly man residing in the area commended Ogunlende for bringing water to them.
“I was surprised when I heard the person doing it is not a politician, he is not a resident and not from here, and the work is so fast.
“We are happy because God has used you to relive our burden. We pray that God will continue to guide and increase you on all sides,” he said.
Mrs Funmilayo Adedayo, a female resident, thanked Ogunlende on behalf of the women and mothers in the area explaining some of the hurdles the mothers pass through due to lack of water.
“With what RAK has done for us, Christ will look meet him at the point of his need,” she said.
