Support for Baby Ekemini

On May 7, my cousin Ekemini Asuquo Akpan was born and a month later, the trajectory of his life changed forever. Ekemini’s father, my uncle Asuquo passed away on June 6, 2022, the day before his only son turned 1 month old. This has been devastating for my family as my uncle was only two months shy of his 50th birthday. The last words my uncle muttered before his death were, “My son, Ekemini”.

My uncle, like many people who live in third-world countries, died of complications from a disease that is ordinarily quite simple to manage with the proper resource and education. He raised chickens for a living, but his income was often inadequate for his basic needs and the financial burden of treating diabetes in Nigeria, a country that requires money for every single interaction with the healthcare system. Ekemini’s mother, Emelia, is a self-employed caterer and unfortunately, this is not a reliable or adequate source of income, especially given the added burden of being the sole breadwinner for this little family.

I want to honor my uncle’s legacy by ensuring that his only child is supported and grows up in a safe and healthy environment. Unlike in Canada where I live, there are virtually no social supports for children and families in this situation. My desires for him are rather simple for the average North American, but the burden of providing consistent food, clothing, shelter, and education can seem like insurmountable tasks in Nigeria.

I want to raise this money to help meet the immediate and foreseen needs of this child. The basics of life include food, shelter, clothing, and access to healthcare. Foreseen needs, the opportunity to access a good education.

In case you think that you don’t have the ability to contribute, here is some context – The average salary in Nigeria is $266.80 CAD per month. In Akwa Ibom State, basic needs in CAD: One-bedroom apartment outside the city = $420.28 CAD; 1 kg of Rice = $3.11; 1 L of milk = $3.42; 12 eggs = $ 1.21; 1 kg of bananas = $0.94. A price of a week’s worth of food with the same money I spent to get a cappuccino.

As I think about these needs, it puts the value of money into perspective. The price for my momentary enjoyment could literally extend another’s life. It is sobering and humbling.

Longer-term, the goal is to provide him with the resources to build a good and sustainable future for himself. From personal experience, I can attest to the power of education to change life because that is the avenue that God used to bring my family to Canada. I hope to also give Ekemini that opportunity and the funds not directed to his immediate needs will be put in a trust for his education.

So humbly, I ask for you to give what you can to support the basic needs of his life now and to allow him to hope for a better future.