Hi, my name is Matt and I'm trying to raise funds for desperately needed work on my wife's parent's generational home in Imo State, Nigeria.

My father-in-law Augustine and his wife Ifeoma are in their 70's and are struggling with a number of challenges, not the least of which the loss of one of Augustine's legs a couple years ago.

Their home is in a very remote village in South Eastern Nigeria. For us Westerners it's hard to even imagine but their home has no indoor plumbing or power/lights whatsoever and it's our fervent desire to make the Emewusim's twilight years just a bit easier by adding these basic amenities.

Imagine having to walk ~100m away from your house (through grass that can have poisonous snakes lurking in it) every time you need to use a toilet, even if it's the dead of night in complete darkness because you have no lights inside or out because you have no electricity whatsoever in your house. Which of course also means that you have no fridge or TV and you're literally sitting in darkness when the sun goes down which it does consistently in Nigeria at ~7pm every day all year round. (it was funny to watch my wife's reaction when she first arrived in Canada in August and she couldn't get over the fact that it was still broad daylight at 9pm. It blew her mind.)

Imagine having to gather fire wood from the forest surrounding your home every time you need to make a meal because you have no stove or even a small propane/gas cook top.

Imagine having to get water from an outdoor source one bucket at a time every time you need to cook or bathe.

Now imagine existing like this while being elderly and in a wheel-chair.

These are the living conditions of this dear elderly couple every day of their lives and they've managed it all without complaining. The Nigerian spirit is amazing and is part of the reason I married one. They will tolerate the harshest conditions without complaining and they are grateful and appreciative for everything they have and for any small blessing that comes their way even if they more than earned it themselves.

Nigeria does not have the social safety net that Canadians take for granted. There is no welfare, no government pensions, nothing. Given their age and health there is no realistic way for my wife's parents to earn a living. They literally depend on their grown children to sustain them financially. Which we do, every month, and they are very grateful.

They are beautiful souls, kind and generous and have devoted their long lives to unselfishly helping others and raising a wonderful family that I'm proud to now be a part of.

Despite my own financial difficulties, I've recently sent a substantial amount to help replace the old leaky roof on the in-laws home. (It was pretty dire and couldn't wait. They were literally using buckets in a futile effort to catch the rain water falling down inside their home.) You might think (as I did) projects such as this would be dirt-cheap given that it's Africa but surprisingly, home improvements there are quite expensive. Not as much as Canada but still expensive.

I've gotten estimates for the work we want to have done and it amounts to upwards of 12 million Naira which is roughly $11k CAD

I won't break it down in too much detail but this will include:

-installing a toilet and all necessary plumbing

-overhead water tank

-borehole (drilling down to get a water supply)

-pump to extract the water and fill the tank along with a generator to power it.

-septic tank

-cabinetry and tiling to support the kitchen sink/faucet

-tiling for the toilet

-gas stove and supply

-electrical/lights

-window and door for new 'bathroom'

This is all very basic stuff, nothing fancy. They literally have no indoor plumbing at all, not a single faucet. They have no lights or wiring at all. This won't make their home into a 5 star accommodation but it will improve their quality of life immensely.

Look, we all know how expensive everything has gotten in the past few years. Rent and groceries especially are out of control. People are tightening their belts, so to speak, and understandably, in view of the tariff threats and other reasons, just keeping their job is everyone's priority right now. So I understand if you can't help us. Believe me, I get it. You need to take care of your own family first.

But if there is any way you can support this cause just know that it will be appreciated. By me, my wife Chinyere and of course Augustine and Ifeoma themselves. God bless you.

I've included a photo of me and my wife with Ifeoma in the parking lot of our BnB in Ikeja. And another of me with both Ifeoma and Augustine.