‘When I learned that hunger killed one elderly man, I said enough’

Eighty-year-old Mrs Deborah Adepoju is a retired school principal. With her children, she founded and runs a programme that takes care of aged widows, widowers and pensioners in Osogbo, Osun State. In this interview by SAHEED SALAWU, she speaks on her experience meeting aged people who could barely feed once a day and why she believes no Nigerian should be hungry.

What personal experiences or moments in your life inspired you to start the Abraham Centre Food Pantry initiative, and why was serving widows and the elderly particularly important to you?

I grew up as a farmer’s daughter, spending my childhood on the farm, and I always believed that no one should ever go hungry in Nigeria. With our rich soil and favourable tropical climate, it seemed unthinkable that starvation could exist here. But as I grew older, I began to see a different reality—many children and adults were actually starving or severely underfed.

One experience that deeply affected me was the case of an elderly male pensioner who had been buying food on credit for a long time. When he eventually lost that privilege, he had no means left, and he later died of starvation in his own home. That tragedy opened my eyes to the painful truth: without their pension payments, many male and female pensioners were living on the edge of survival. In fact, when I collected data from the Pensioners Association, I learned that even the “better off” pensioners—with their already meagre monthly pay—were contributing to help their fellow pensioners who had no income at all.

I also discovered that many widows, especially those running small businesses or earning low incomes, were struggling just as much. Many had three or more children to feed, yet they were facing the same harsh reality—starvation or severe undernourishment.

These experiences made it clear to me that hunger was not just a statistic; it was affecting real people in my community. That realisation is what inspired me to start the Food Pantry initiative, with a special focus on widows and the elderly who are often the most vulnerable.

 Many food-relief programmes struggle with sustainability. How has the Pantry ensured transparency, accountability, and long-term continuity since its CAC registration and the creation of the Board of Trustees/Management?

Many food-relief programmes struggle with sustainability, but our initiative has remained active for over 13 years as a consistent food-intervention programme for widows. At various times, we also provide free medical checkups such as blood pressure and blood sugar screenings for widows and elderly men and women.

One key factor behind our sustainability is the strength and integrity of the people who run the Pantry. We have been fortunate to receive voluntary service from men and women of proven character—individuals I worked closely with during my years as a secondary school principal in Osun State. Their sense of responsibility has been exceptional, and since the CAC registration and the creation of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and Board of Management (BOM), we have maintained full transparency and accountability in all operations.

Our system is built in such a way that if anyone with dishonest intentions (a “Judas”) were to enter the management structure, they would not last; the processes and the collective integrity of the team make it impossible for misconduct to hide.

Additionally, sustainability has been strengthened through consistent support from my family members, friends, relatives, and even former students from the schools where I served as principal. They understand how passionate I am about this work, and their continuous contributions—financial, logistical, and moral—have helped ensure the long-term continuity of the Food Pantry.

Your initiative goes beyond food distribution to restoring dignity. Can you share a memorable story of a widow or elderly beneficiary whose life was significantly touched by the pantry?

This initiative has always gone beyond food distribution—we aim to restore dignity and create a sense of belonging. Over the years, we have celebrated Christmas with the widows, even wearing matching Ankara uniforms that the initiative provided. These moments have helped transform the Pantry into more than a support program; it has become a growing community where the women feel seen, valued, and connected.

We assisted a young widow with three children by paying her overdue house rent, preventing her eviction and restoring her dignity and confidence within the community.

You emphasise that donated food must not be resold and that distributions are done monthly. What challenges do you face in maintaining the integrity of the system, and how does the team ensure fairness and consistency?

We maintain the integrity of our distribution system by ensuring that we give only to those we truly consider “needy,” and the quantities provided are intentionally modest—enough to support their household but not large enough to encourage resale. Our team members are men and women of proven integrity, which greatly reduces the risk of misuse.

To my pleasant surprise, some volunteers who handle packaging and distribution even add items such as seasoning or salt from their own pockets to enhance the food packages. Whenever I notice this, I am deeply moved and grateful for their generosity.

Presently, our greatest challenge is not maintaining fairness or consistency in the distribution process—those remain strong—but rather securing enough funds or food donations to keep the Pantry adequately stocked.

The Pantry operates a branded vehicle for collection and distribution. How has community participation—donors, local markets, churches, and volunteers—shaped the growth and impact of the initiative?

So far, we have not yet experienced significant community participation, even though we operate a branded vehicle for collecting and distributing food items. This is only our second time conducting a joint food distribution for widows and elderly men, so public awareness of the initiative is still growing.

However, we remain hopeful. As the visibility of the Pantry increases, we believe local donors, markets, churches, and volunteers will be encouraged to join us. Their support will be essential because we know we cannot sustain or expand this work alone.

 As the founder, what guiding principles or values inform your leadership, especially in managing a team of trustees and volunteers who support this mission?

My guiding principle as a leader is simple: everyone in the community is “our neighbour”—our family and our friend. This belief shapes how I lead and how I encourage the team to serve. I want us to remain genuinely concerned about the well-being of others, especially when it comes to food insecurity.

This value of compassion, shared responsibility, and seeing dignity in every person helps me guide the trustees and volunteers. It reminds us that our mission is not just about distributing food, but about caring for people as members of our extended community.

Looking ahead, what is your long-term vision for the Abraham Centre Food Pantry? Are there plans to expand beyond Osogbo or to introduce additional empowerment programmes for widows and vulnerable families?

Looking ahead, the long-term vision for the Abraham Centre Food Pantry is to ensure that only those experiencing serious food challenges are catered for—whether they number in the hundreds or thousands. Equally important, we aim to empower men and women facing food insecurity (excluding the elderly) by training them to farm and produce basic crops such as maize, cassava, and vegetables. These are easy-to-cultivate foods that can help families become self-sufficient.

We firmly believe that “no one should go hungry,” and this vision emphasises both helping people directly and encouraging them to help themselves while supporting their neighbours.

There are also plans to expand beyond Osogbo to cover other parts of Osun State. This expansion would focus on establishing personal farms, providing free or subsidised farming materials and tools, and closely monitoring and mentoring the new farmers—especially young widows and men who are still able to farm. Ideally, this could be organised at the local government level, combining direct food support with sustainable empowerment initiatives.