My name is Bill Adams and this is our recent Travel Story. Please show your support by upvoting and sharing.
The trip to Oporoma became crucial in our plans because of a recent natural disaster. It is the capital of Southern Ijaw local government area, the largest local government area in Nigeria whose oil and natural gas resources has helped to enrich the nation.
Oporoma is a rich oil-producing community in the coast region of Bayelsa State in Nigeria. The community is surrounded by more than a hundred and fifty villages that still adores it as their favorite economic and political center. The villages and towns under Oporoma are too many that it is so difficult for an indigene of the area to know and travel them all.
We embarked on the trip on October 4th, a time of the year when the water level increases due to flood or the overflow of the famous River Niger which overflows beyond the banks of the river connected to it.
As at the time of the trip, the flood has displaced a large number of and they lost their homes to the waters. While some of them managed the situation, others not too prepared for the unknown slowly and calmly fled to the towns to the nearby oasis for safety and peace.
Check out a Fundraiser for Oporoma Community – Show Your Support
For the people Oporoma, taking their furniture outside in the open air, sleeping and staying in a flooded house, farmers having to swim across the river just to get to their farms, and children bathing in stagnant gutter water has become a normal site, and a normal way of life.
The wooden bridge leading to the farmland seem like a death trap, it is weak and almost covered by the rising water. But the people have no choice than to take the risk of reaching their farms to at least salvage what’s left of the ruins.
We asked a woman whose kitchen and the street is flooded she ignites the firewood to cook for her family, and she replied ‘na God’, meaning they are used to the situation that occurs once in every three years. She pointed to the children swimming and playing in the stagnant water. She emphasized their untold happiness. Yes, the kids played with so much joy and enthusiasm, not because of the pleasantness of the water but probably because they have no better choice of happiness.
Mercy ended up as one of our tour guides when we were looking for someone skilled enough to paddle us through the major ruins of the overflowing waters. They recommended him and he did an excellent job.
Smart, intelligent and handsome kids like Mercy should be in school. He should enjoy great rights and privileges as a citizen of one of the largest oil producing LGAs in the world.
But our little friend seemed stuck just like many others who can’t have a link or reach with the outside world. Ther only connection to the outside world is through televisions and radios which is still a luxury to some.
Mercy told us he would love to go back to school, but his parent cannot afford the tuition fee and learning materials. There are about 100 children in that same condition. We promised to come back and put him in school. Every child deserves a basic education. A lack of basic education is bad for their physical and intellectual growth.
If all things were equal, this community would have been one of the richest, and its inhabitants would have enjoyed plenty of seafood like lobsters, big tilapia fishes, and snails in abundance. They can use the money move or protect themselves from the floods that displace them every year.
I am sorry if this is not a happy travel story, but it is the reality of life. We felt a little bit of comfort because the people welcomed us with open arms and their smiles warmed our hearts. For this reason, we are making plans to go back within 60 days. We are going to raise some funds to support the mothers so they can provide the basic needs of their children.
This is what STACT FOUNDATION is all about: ensuring every child gets the basic need they deserve. Sometimes, this also requires giving the mothers what they need to take care of their children.
Our main purpose of visiting this region was to find out how the Children are faring. Are they getting their basic needs like education, nutrition, clean water, and mental support? The answer is obviously no. These children deserve better. Let us give them the opportunity to thrive and become better adults tomorrow.
Fortunately, we were able to launch a fundraiser on gogetfund.com, thanks to SD Randle. There are some who help others out of pity and those who have a heart of gold. Whoever you are please support this movement by:
Donating to StactFoundation.com With Paypal, With Debit/Credit Card, With Bitcoin
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Check out a Fundraiser for Oporoma Community – Show Your Support