FOOD for ALL

What time is it?. Almost four O'clock and the sun is readying up to set at the west. I'm really bored watching television. Haven't heard from her in a while. Perhaps she might be busily streaming movies online. It's cool though, what could one do than to keep occupied in this world of loneliness.
My eyes even strain sitting behind the technological device for many hours since morning. Big bro has been lying in his room watching series of movies on his laptop. Mine is faulty and I had no other choice than to make companionship with the T.V. But I'm fed up for the day watching a motionless device plugged and showing pictures of humans for me.
From one technological device to the other, I then took my phone into my room to enjoy some real African music. That's what I mostly do when Idle and not talking to her on phone. With a headset and lying on my bed, I listened to some music. Dancing to rhythm and tunes I kept nodding my head with eyes closed.
After a couple of songs, I checked the time on my phone. Hey, it's five O'Clock. I should listen to BBC Radio. It's time for "Focus on Africa", hurray.... I love listening to this program full of news around my continent, Africa. Of course, I'm extra delighted when I hear news from happenings in my country, Ama Ghana. Jumping from bed, I rushed to switch on the radio just beside my pillow tuning to no other than 101.3, thus Frequency for BBC Radio Accra.
"It's time for Focus on Africa with me...", the newscaster started. I'm right on time. Among the headlines, one particular news story that glued my attention to the radio was about a Ghanaian young man who has created Food Bank in his country. The first of it's kind in the country to provide food for those who lacked enough to eat. "Food Bank? How?". I asked in surprise.
I was very expectant as the program continued with a lot of happenings around the continent.
"And now, a young man, Amoadu, will receive an award here in London from Queen Elizabeth for efforts in providing food for those who lack it in his country, Ghana. Amoadu is here with me in the studio. I think you must be happy now having been selected to take this award from her Majesty. Tell us how it all begun".
At this point, I am extremely excited and quite proud about to listen to someone from my country to be honoured by her Majesty. I can't even control my eagerness to listen to him.
"I am really glad and humbled". Amoadu started. "It all begun when I worked as a chef in one of the top restaurants in the city of Accra. I loved to be called "chef" because of the passion I have for cooking. I lost my parents at a tender age and I was the only child to them. I was sent to an Orphanage home until I was about grown up enough to work. Working at the restaurant, there was this particular man who was mentally retarded. He always came to pick up waste food from our dustbins. And one day, I took time to ask him why he came here to pick up waste food everyday. What he told me was that, no one will do that if he doesn't. He picked up these things to feed himself and other colleagues who were also retarded mentally as him. I was very sad at what he told me and being a man who has lived as an orphan from infancy, I knew how it felt to lack food to eat. A lot of people waste food everyday while others just wish for a morsel of that leftover wasted. I took an initiative to bring on board some chefs in different restaurants and hotels to form a group called "Food for All". Now, what we did is that, we spoke with owners of some restaurants and hotels in Accra to help us feed some orphanages,rehabilitation centres and psychiatric hospitals with their "waste food". Some of them declined our plea while a lot agreed to help since it was a nice initiative. What happens is that, we have contacts with the hotels and restaurants who agreed to give us a helping hand. And so they call us when it's time for them to close for the day. We then go there with a vehicle and pick up the waste foods and fairly distribute them to some orphanage homes, those mentally retarded and others. We also have contacts with some farmers as well in the country. And so when it's time for harvest, they call us and then we move there to collect some surplus and donations of food from these farms".
The newscaster then came in, "wow, and here you are about to receive an award for that. Thanks for coming. We wish you all the best. Congratulations....".
At this moment, I'm actually done with the radio since I have been served with all what I wanted.
But something struck my mind. What I heard from the young man is very touching. I lied on the bed for about an hour thinking deep into this.
There is mass wastage of food in my country and I guess everywhere. That's true. Just few hours ago, I ate rice and had to pour the plenty I couldn't eat into the dustbin.
A lot of such wastage of food goes on in homes, work places, farms and more especially in restaurants and hotels. Meanwhile a lot of people somewhere somehow due to certain problems are going through hard times in terms of getting food to eat. Not only Orphanage homes and those mentally retarded, but some families are also going through same.
People are living on a meagre meal per day. Some go throughout the day without food.
FOOD FOR ALL. You might not be able to form an association as Amoadu did. But we can all fairly help. If you have enough to eat with a possibility of some going waste, kindly save a soul by giving out to a family or someone in dire need. If it's possible, an Orphanage home or rehabilitation centre will do. While you are putting smiles on the needy, you are also reducing waste which will go a long way to curb the sanitation headache in our country. Who knows what might come out of it. Above all, God definitely sees your efforts and will crown it.