From Khalid Idris Doya, Bauchi
Wunti Al-Khair Foundation has donated a total of 4,500 bags of rice to Christian community in Bauchi State, under the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), to support 2025 Christmas celebration.
The items were distributed across all 20 local government areas of the state through the management of the Foundation, led by the Director of Programmes, Mustapha Ango.
Speaking during the distribution on Monday, Ango said the gesture was part of the Foundation’s commitment to community engagement and development.
“This is the season of Christmas, a season of giving, sharing and caring. The Foundation, founded by Dr Bala Wunti, is known for compassion and for igniting hope among the people. We found it necessary to support the Christian community at this time to ease some of the hardship and ensure a joyous celebration,” he said.
Ango noted that many families may struggle to afford food during the festive period, adding that the initiative was aimed at extending a hand of fellowship to Christian brothers and sisters in the state.
He disclosed that the 4,500 bags of rice were shared among all the 20 local government areas, with the CAN leadership entrusted with the responsibility of distributing the items to churches, denominations, and various wings within the association.
Ango also clarified that the exercise had no political undertone, stressing that the Wunti Al-Khair Foundation is a non-political organisation.
“Everything we do is purely humanitarian. Our goal is to improve the livelihood of our people. We carry out similar interventions during Ramadan, Eid-el-Fitr and Eid-el-Adha, and we have extended the same goodwill to the Christian community for Christmas,” he added.
Receiving the items on behalf of CAN, the State Chairman, Rev. Dr. Abraham Damina Dimeus, commended the Foundation for expanding the scope of the intervention to cover all 20 local government areas.
Represented by the CAN Treasurer, Pastor Promise Nuhu Yohanna, noted that unlike the previous year, when only seven LGAs benefitted, the 2025 edition involved full collaboration with the state CAN leadership.
Pastor Yohanna explained that, with the approval of the Foundation’s management, adjustments were made to ensure the inclusion of the Youth Wing and Women Wing of CAN in the distribution.
“Some reductions were made in certain local governments to accommodate the Youth and Women Wings, so that no group would feel left out. We are grateful for this understanding and cooperation,” he said.
He expressed appreciation on behalf of the Christian community, describing the donation as timely and impactful, “This gesture will go a long way in reducing stress and enabling our people to celebrate Christmas with joy. It also encourages sharing, especially with the less privileged in our society,” he added.
Earlier, a member of the Foundation’s team, Isiyaka Ismail Wunti, thanked Allah for the opportunity to carry out the exercise and appreciated the leadership of CAN at both state and local government levels for their coordination.
He explained that the Foundation worked closely with CAN to identify beneficiaries across the state, noting that the distribution was based on the population of Christians in each local government.
“Some local governments received higher allocations due to their larger Christian population, while others received fewer bags. This was done in consultation with CAN, which understands the local realities,” he explained.
Isyaka Wunti stated that the initiative was part of the Foundation’s annual humanitarian programmes aimed at promoting peace, stability, and development in Bauchi State.
“Our hope is that this year’s exercise will bring joy to the Christian community and further strengthen peaceful coexistence across the state,” he concluded.
