Every Kilometre for Ilaje

On my first day of home visits in the community of Ilaje in Nigeria, I felt angry and frustrated. I was confronted with children and families living in some of the harshest conditions I have personally witnessed. My brain wanted to shut down, but at the same time, every sense in me felt heightened. Part of me wanted to unsee it all and find a way out.

As I sat in a small stilt house, probably two square metres in size, barely standing on ground softened by wet rubbish, I watched our host hold her baby. I almost lost my bearings. I spaced out and found myself questioning the injustice and the broken systems that have contributed to this. I knew I couldn't let myself get consumed by everything I was feeling. Knowing the comfort and distance I get to return to, back home it would have been easy to become overwhelmed, retreat from the discomfort and stop looking.

This isn't my first time with Hands at Work. I've witnessed how faithfully they carry out their James 1:27 calling in these communities. That's why I've kept coming back, giving what I can from the time and resources I've been blessed enough to have. Along the way, my understanding of Jesus' call for us as believers to serve the vulnerable, wherever we are, has been challenged, refined and deepened.

This time, though, spending more time in the community added another layer to that. Over the next few days, I started noticing even more of the light and hope God has brought through the work of Hands:

I saw Care Workers showing up day after day, feeding children, creating safe spaces and loving them. One thing that stood out was their lack of excuses.  They could have many in their own poverty and vulnerability, yet they continue to give what they have.

I saw local church leaders renewing their commitment to care for the vulnerable in their communities.

And I saw the children, hundreds across the three communities Hands partners with. Children with so much potential, promise and dignity.

I left Nigeria deeply moved by the people who continue to show up and care, even when they themselves don’t have much. And the impact of that is palpable. One of the most encouraging things is seeing young people who once came through the programme grow up and become leaders in their own communities. Seeing that was honestly a balm to the soul, a seed of hope against the tough realities of poverty. 

So I'm taking that experience with me into the mountains. My Alta Via 1 trek through the Dolomites was already planned and paid for. It was originally meant to be a personal journey, a chance to unplug, slow down, spend time in the mountains and reconnect with God.

For the whole month of September leading up to my birthday on September 29, I'm dedicating the roughly 120 km of the Alta Via 1 to Ilaje, Nigeria, raising funds through Hands at Work to help provide basic needs including food, education and shelter for some of the most vulnerable children and families in the community.

Every kilometre I walk will be for Ilaje. You can donate whatever you can, or simply share this with someone who might want to help.

While I'm on the trail, I won't be posting in real time. Part of this trek is still about unplugging, being present and reconnecting with God. I'll journal each day and record reflections about the trail, Nigeria, and some of the people and encounters that have stayed with me.

When I return, I'll share some of those stories over the final 10 days of the CrowdRaiser, leading up to my birthday.

I know there are so many needs in the world, and this isn't more important than any of them. This is simply one community I had the privilege of meeting, and one small way I feel I can respond.

If you've made it this far, thank you for hearing me out. I can't fix everything I saw in Nigeria. Nor can we fix it all with this fundraiser. But we can do something. And if you feel you can too, I'd be incredibly grateful if you'd walk a few kilometres with me.