Dennis Akpan: The man feeding the poor

Akpan during a destitute children feeding

Dennis Akpan is a commonplace name in the Calabar, Akwa Ibom region of Nigeria it originates from. However, the Dennis Akpan being referenced in this story is not a commonplace person.

In fact, he might be described as a rarity in today’s Nigeria that people mostly look out for themselves. Against that tide, though he’s not overly a person of means himself, he still finds time to take care of needy and destitute children in our society.

It was many years ago that he realized he had to be doing something to make an impact in the lives of such people.

In his words: “When I was on Borno Way, Yaba, Lagos quite a long time back and I was swarmed by beggars, I realized they really needed support. I gave them everything I had on me that day and I went back a week later with food for them.”

Akpan and some destitute children

Since that first feeding of the poor, he has gone on to feed them severally and keeps doing so. “After I had been doing it for some time with my own resources, I found out I couldn’t do it to the level I wanted just by myself. So I established an NGO, Natural Healing Foundation, through which individuals, corporate bodies and humanitarian organizations can support me in this laudable objective.

“My plan is to build a school and vocational centre for destitute children and to keep feeding them in order to heal their souls of the torment they’ve passed through. I’m also planning a special children’s fair so that the neglected children can get to interact with their counterparts who have the security and comfort that comes with being with their parents.”

Keep doing good, bro.