Innocent Onoh
Relief has come the way of over four thousand individuals, including women and children, residing within the Olusosun Dumpsite, Ojota, Lagos State, and subsisting by scavenging on the waste piles.
This follows the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s initiative to adopt them for rehabilitation, economic empowerment, and resettlement in areas with improved environmental conditions.
At a programme for residents of the dump site community, dubbed “Lightup Olusosun Crusade”, a senior pastor of the church, Emmanuel Emefienim, noted that the rehabilitation and empowerment of the residents aligns with Pastor Adeboye’s vision to extend love and care to the disadvantaged, commemorating his 83rd birthday.
Pastor Emmanuel Emefienim pointed out that the outreach programme for residents in the Olusosun Dump site includes rehabilitation for those affected by drug use, medical services for the sick, skill acquisition, and connection to improved job opportunities.
Pastor Emefienim, who is the Vice Chairman of the Reach for Christ Initiative, a church programme aimed at providing a decent living for the downtrodden, also noted that the intervention programme for Olusosun dump site residents is part of this initiative.
He said, “We are here at Olusosun dumpsite on behalf of our highly revered Father in the Lord, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye who, by the grace of God, will turn 83 on the 2nd of March, and as part of activities to mark his birthday, he has instructed that we reach out to the less privileged, that need to be liberated by the message of hope that Jesus Christ represents.
“About three weeks ago, we were with Pastor Adeboye at the Correctional Center, Port Harcourt, where he reached out to over two thousand inmates. Today, it is the turn of the dumpsite here, where we have over 4000 people that have been here, some of them with their wives,” he said.
He further stated that it was a special way by Pastor Adeboye to commemorate this year’s Valentine’s Day celebration, extending the love of Christ to them.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Juliet Samuel, stated that her husband contracted a mysterious illness that caused his body to swell, and would have perished if not for the intervention programme.
“It was like all hope was gone, but coming to the family of God, we found hope again. The message that I have for people here, no matter what, it’s one problem or the other that brought them here, they should not give up. They should not allow the environment to take advantage of them. They should come closer to God. Some of them that come close to me, I usually use my husband’s condition, how the church helped us, to encourage them.”
Another beneficiary, Oluwadamilola Adekunle Samuel, reported that he received training as a driver, noting that living at the dumpsite was not entirely unproductive, as he acquired barbing skills there, which he has integrated into his new job, resulting in increased earnings.
“I worked, lived and worked here before. But when I joined the RCCG Parish in this dumpsite, I told the pastor that I needed better work. They took me out and gave me a driving job at the Redemption Camp. They gave me a befitting apartment. My life changed from there. I will like to thank God for my life, because I have experienced the goodness of God.”
Through the programme, dozens of people from the Olusosun Dump site community have been relocated, trained, and provided with a decent living.
The Olusosun dumpsite, covering 100 acres, is Africa’s largest and among the world’s largest. Although the Lagos State government is working to decontaminate the area, the environment remains hazardous due to the intense stench.
As a result, participants in the LightUp Olusosun Crusade wore nose masks for protection.