COMMUNITY CLEAN UP

If there is anything we could do in a world where we found ourselves is to be useful to people rather than causing pain to people. You never really know of the small things you do to people that could mean a lot more to them.

We were three good friends who went for an adventure that involves further learning and mentorship and this took us to a far away land far from the city and it was such a beautiful experience going back to witness nature and it's fullness therein. We couldn't help than left in amazement of how these people deep down in this village called Ukpagada in Cross River State Nigeria could live so well without internet services and access to good roads and amenities. This is one of my culture shocks I received I mean these people are very comfortable living without complaining and just in a few days of our arrival we met with great distress of our Life.
 

Coming from us who had leaved in the city our whole life and coming down to where there's no road, no network and when you manage to catch one you would suffer trying to connect with people from the outside world. Mehn this was like hell on earth. We didn't only got frustrated with their roads and network but their foods were beyond the ordinary, Very strange, not too familiar and almost everything they used in its preparation is natural; even coming down to the seasoning. I mean this was a huge shock I personally had to deal with.

Our visit was not meant to last for days but a whole full month. And we had to make a lot of adjustments and try to blend into the system. After two weeks or so; we started getting used to the people and their language that we could even send greetings in their local language and this was greatly appreciated by the community people. Knowing that these strangers(us) love what they do. It made them even happier receiving us more.

And in this we tried searching for what we could do to make the community better than we left them, although this one was a little bit hard for us to crack though but while we are seriously looking for the bigger things to do, little do we know that the smaller weight matters a lot. On this very faithful day just a night before the town town Cryer announced in the community that All Men of the Community are all expected to be up for the road construction early the next day. And this is their local way of working the road after erosion. In the morning all the men were already set with their tools to go for the community work and here we're as strangers going to watch them go out while we remain the only men in the community but rather we took to our Heels and decided to borrow some farm tools from the women to join the men go for the road construction
 

Although we were a little late to the venue but on our arrival the community men were all shocked seeing strangers working on their roads with joy and we took this work personally, with passion and joy. The community men saw the zeal in us and they were all happy with our assistance and they even said we work as if we've been into farm work before. We didn't work like lazy men would. The laughter from our heart rose up to a high level.

Before our arrival after the day's work. The news had spread all over the community of our creative thinking and assistance we rendered. All the women couldn't help it but made it to the top of their discussion. We were happy that just that little act of service we rendered to the community could go a long way putting smiles on everyone's faces.

After our stay, the villagers gaves us lots of yams and farm produce to take back home saying they enjoyed our stay and couldn't help but miss us. We missed them too even if we were meant to path our ways after our path crossed.

This is my response to the indiaUnited contest on "Acts of Kindness"