Indian group from the ancient Sikh community in India but based in Lagos on Tuesday flagged off a social service initiative tagged, ‘feeding the poor programme’, with plans to feed more than 50 people every week within a particular community in the state.
The programme was a way of giving back to the society and sharing from possessions with fellow human, irrespective of faith, colour and background.
The group leader, Sikh, Lagos chapter, Navdeep Lamba, stated that it is the tradition of the community to feed poor people adding that it was a way of commemorating the Indian tradition of celebrating harvest among the country’s nationals resident in Lagos; a significant festival that Indian farmers hold in high esteem.
He said the Sikh community, all over the world, runs free community kitchens which provide meals to all.
The programme, he said, is run and funded by volunteers.
Lamba described the gesture as timely coming at a time when Indians were celebrating the annual harvest festival.
He said Indians in Nigeria, who were members of the Sikh community in India, came up with the idea of replicating the group as practiced at their home country.
To kick-start the programme in Nigeria, more than 50 people within Ilupeju axis of Lagos State were fed with Nigerian delicacies as the group promised to extend the gesture to another community within the state next week.
“We initiated ‘feeding the poor programme’ a year ago with just five people and since its commencement, the turnout has risen to 50,” he said.
Lamba indicated that the Sikh members would start deploying resources into medical aids and others that could assist sick people across rural areas in Nigeria.
