Hundreds of children and their parents, as well as appreciative neighbours, in the Olodi-Apapa area of Ajegunle, Lagos don’t need anyone to spur them into hailing the family of Chief Nathaniel Idowu. They surely won’t wait for anyone to propel or coerce them into showering accolades on a family that has splashed massive goodies on them all through this week.
However, for anyone who thinks there’s no need singing praises to the Idowu family, that person has to quickly visit New Maracana in Tolu-Ajegunle, Lagos to witness first hand what philanthropy truly has to be.
Yes, philanthropy in the real sense of it; not makeshift efforts at garnering goodwill with paltry donations and seeking publicity through ulterior visits to motherless babies’ homes or orphanages on your birthday.
Not just giving alms during Easter or at Christmas.
Many so-called philanthropists would wait until the whole society is agog with a bandwagon of support for a man or woman in need.
Lots of them won’t dip their hands into donation purses until social media is awash with comments about someone in need, then publicity would be cheaper to get. Or wait until Salah day to put up a show in the view of all.
Not so for the family of Nathaniel Idowu. For them, philanthropy is a habit, not a flash in the pan. There’s is a family that gives hope to the less privileged with a passion, not because of accruing benefits.
Rather than go to the nearest home of the motherless with half heated donations, the Idowu uses sports to spread love for all and care for the needy.
So, they first upgraded the place that used to be known as ‘Big Field,’ on the fringes of Tolu Schools Complex, on the banks of Cowrie Creek, opposite Snake Island, and they keep on takiing excitement there regularly.
The arena again came alive this past Monday with the inaugural and astonishing Nathaniel Idowu Summer Camp, with over 300 kids in attendance.
Almost a thousand turned up to partake in the bliss, but safety implications and the need for orderly conduct of activities occasioned a decision to cut the list to only those who registered ahead of the day.
The camp coordinator, McAnthony Anuforo Anaelechukwu said it will run for one month, all through the long holidays for schools in Lagos State.
That had many parents equally celebrating the fact that their children will be kept away from social vices, domestic delinquencies and all kind of juvenile pranks this summer.
Not only will these children get rare opportunities to step out of home daily during the holiday, but they will also learn a lot of skills to boost their future careers in the process.
That’s because this maiden camp, which is organised by Peakline Sports World Limited and sponsored by Nathaniel Idowu Foundation, has many experts of basketball, football, vocational training and leadership skills dishing out rich lessons to these kids on a daily basis.
The story gets even better when you see all the children – aged five to 18, or thereabout – in colourful sports kits handed out to them … all for free.
To make it better still, at the end of the day, every single child present gets a full plate of nourishing food for lunch. Could any summer camp be better than this?
For anyone who thinks it’s a one-off thing, I’ll roll back to a personal experience that I had with this noble family in the year 2002, while their patriarch, Chief Nathaniel Idowu, was still alive. He single handedly floated a football competition for under-15 boys at Lagos National Stadium, Surulere.
Two salient points made it different from all others at that point in time – free feeding for players and coaches in all 16 participating teams and cash prizes to the top three teams right after the final (there and then). No vain promises, no pranks, and no ‘editing’ of well publicised prize money several weeks later. Everything was done physically on the spot.
Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity and privilege of getting to meet this avuncular hero one-on-one, but there’s no better person to share facts about the rare breed that Chief Nathaniel Idowu was made of than my erudite colleague in the pen trade, Afolabi Gambari (Afo’O).
My pal never gets tired of telling me that Chief Idowu was one millionaire and ‘big man’ who got closest to perfection in terms of modesty, sincerity, and generosity.
Afo’O would tell me often, “Chief Idowu was a rich man who never ignored a poor man’s call. In fact, he will call you back himself if he missed your call. Even if you call him before you visit him, he’ll be waiting eagerly for you to arrive; and no one will block you at his gate.
“You can’t visit Chief Idowu without eating at his place, and he will never let you leave there empty-handed. He’s so punctual in everything he does, and he remembers the birthday of anyone who is close to him. If only all millionaires could be like him.”
Those were just some of the accolades that Afo’O never gets tired of reeling out about Chief Nathaniel Idowu, and he often makes me wish I got close to the man as much as he did.
It also makes me think how sweet it would have been to have Chief Idowu around now that I need hefty donations to help my son overcome his ongoing battle with nasalpharynx cancer. That would have been one sure donor to foot all the hospital bills!
Fortunately, the legacy lives on, and it’s being performed by one of his sons, Chief Yemi Idowu. Call it a chip of the old block (like father, like son), and you’ll surely be right. Not only was Chief Yemi Idowu taught the right things to do, he learnt them very well, and he’s putting them into crystal clear practice for all eyes to see – having also fully sponsored similar projects before the ongoing one.
If you doubt me, just be at New Maracana Stadium on Monday, and the Thomas in you will fade away with ‘automatic alacrity.’
