Help Our Family and Friends in Delta, Nigeria

Hi,

My name is Diana and I am fundraising to help my family in Nigeria. Thank you to everyone who donated to help purchase my father-in-law's new motorbike, which has made a big difference for the family.

We now hope to complete our goal in support of my brother Udoka. He has completed his barber training and we will be supporting him in opening a barber shop. He will use the funds we raise to help with rent, barber chairs, a hair-washing sink, and supplies needed to open the shop. We appreciate your support, it has made a big difference!

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My husband is from Delta State in Western Nigeria. Since we met, the Nigerian economy has gone from bad to worse.* Food and gas prices have increased significantly and many people cannot afford necessities like rice and petrol for generators. The electricity supply is very unreliable and people rely on generators for internet access and light.

My mother and father-in-law farm cassava and yam and walk to work on the farm. My husband's middle brother works as a barber's apprentice and his youngest brother helps on the farm.

My father-in-law drives an okada, a motorbike taxi. In January his bike broke down and he was not able to repair it. His income from the okada driving helps support our family.

We are sending what we can to support them. This fundraiser will help us better support our family while we are going through the immigration process for my husband to come to the United States. We would like to purchase an okada for his father so he can earn money to support the family.

Donations are welcome at any level and are greatly appreciated.

My husband's village is a primarily Igbo community with a rich cultural history. The King's Palace is in the center of the small city. People gather at open-air markets to sell their products and purchase food and household items. People are warm and friendly and everyone is working hard to make ends meet.

To respect our family's privacy, please don't share this fundraiser on social media, only via email, messaging app or text message. Any feedback and suggestions for the fundraiser are welcome. We are so grateful for your support.

The cost of living for a family of four in Nigeria is about 800 US dollars monthly. A good salary in Nigeria for average people is about $200 monthly. People live with their families and make do without the basic necessities we enjoy here in the US.

Here are some prices in Nigeria for reference:

25# bag of rice = $80.00

Used okada = $800

Dozen eggs = $4.50

A gallon of petrol = $2.23

Pair of jeans = $15.00

Inexpensive restaurant meal = $5

Here is a link to the cost of living in Warri, a nearby city:

Cost of Living - Warri, Nigeria

*The value of the Naria was previously tied to the dollar and all international transfers were made in US dollars. This ended in February 2023 causing extreme instability in the Nigerian economy. Gas subsidies were also ended in February and people are struggling to get to work, fuel their cars and okada, and power generators. The Naira currency has fallen in value from .0024 to 1 US dollar in January 2022 to .0013 in June of 2023. It was valued at .00066 in May 2024, and the current value of the Nigerian Naira is 0.00064.

Here are some photos of our trip to Nigeria in 2023.