Food items distributed by Northern CAN to vulnerable households in Kaduna
Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (Northern CAN) has distributed food items to no fewer than 1,000 vulnerable households as part of its Christmas humanitarian intervention in violence-affected communities of Kaduna State.
The exercise, which was flagged off on Wednesday in Maraban Rido, Kaduna, targeted victims of violence, widows, orphans, displaced persons and people living with disabilities, with the aim of easing hardship and spreading hope during the festive season.
Items distributed included 25kg bags of rice, beans, maize and garri for each household, as well as groundnut oil, palm oil, sugar, salt and seasonings, among other essential food items.
Chairman of Northern CAN and the Federal Capital Territory, Rev. Joseph Hayab, said the intervention was supported by Barnabas Aid and deliberately focused on the most vulnerable members of society affected by violence and displacement.
Hayab explained that 1,000 households were selected from two communities to benefit from the gesture, which he said was meant to bring relief, restore dignity and reassure beneficiaries that they had not been forgotten during Christmas.
According to him, the initiative goes beyond material support, combining spiritual, physical, emotional and social care, stressing that hunger can undermine peace and weaken people’s capacity to respond positively to calls against violence.
He added that prayers were offered before the distribution as a show of solidarity with the beneficiaries, noting that the current outreach in Kaduna was part of a broader plan to reach about 5,000 households across Northern Nigeria, including communities in Borno, Plateau and Benue states.
Vice Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Jonah Samson, said the outreach aligned with biblical teachings and the example of Jesus Christ, adding that the beneficiaries were drawn from three main groups: victims of persecution and displacement, widows and orphans, and persons living with disabilities.
Samson noted that while the support might not solve all their challenges, it would provide relief and encouragement amid rising economic hardship, urging beneficiaries not to sell the items but to use them to support their families.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Village Head of Maraban Rido, Kudansa, Mr Auta Alkali, commended Northern CAN and Barnabas Aid for the timely intervention, describing the relief as a source of hope that would reduce hunger and bring comfort to affected households during the Christmas season.
