By Samuel Marshall
On Saturday, 13th December, 2025, the Port Harcourt Reggae Lions Club transformed rhythm into relief as it staged a colourful charity outreach aimed at easing the burdens of widows and their families. The initiative saw the distribution of food items and essential condiments to widows across five communities within Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas.
True to the spirit of reggae — an enduring musical genre that preaches love, generosity and resistance to oppression — the outreach blended humanitarian service with cultural expression. A brightly decorated float, draped in the iconic red, yellow and green colours, led a lively convoy through major streets. Accompanied by pulsating reggae beats from a mobile sound system, a disc jockey and enthusiastic followers, the procession drew smiles, curiosity and excitement from residents as it made its way through the city.
Recognised under the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), the Port Harcourt Reggae Lions Club extended its outreach to communities including Rumuomasi, Elekahia, Ogbum-nu-Abali, Rumukalagbor and Total Village. In each location, widows were presented with relief items, offering renewed hope and a sense of inclusion as the festive season approaches.
Speaking during the exercise, the President of the Port Harcourt Reggae Lions Club, Mr Kingsley Bekwele Wami, said the initiative was driven by a commitment to community service under the club’s “Feed the Streets” programme. He stressed that the collaboration between the reggae community and the Lions Clubs International Foundation was inspired by a shared desire to promote unity and compassion through practical action. “We, from the reggae community, have decided to work with the Lions Clubs to reach out to communities that require help,” he said.
The Port Harcourt Reggae Lions Club’s Secretary and Welfare Officer, Lion Deborah Job, explained that the Club is a chartered speciality club operating in line with the ideals of LCIF. According to her, the seamless presence of both reggae and Lions Clubs officials underscored the group’s collective commitment to supporting the less privileged in society.
Also speaking, the Service Director, Hon. Nwanjoku Azubuike Chikeru, fondly known as Bike, emphasised the broader vision behind the outreach. He revealed that the club aimed to reach over a thousand widows during the exercise, with plans to expand the initiative in the future. He noted that reggae music, renowned for its soul-lifting and unifying power, serves as a vital tool for strengthening social bonds and providing emotional healing in challenging times. Summing up the shared philosophy behind the initiative, he simply stated: “One love.”
The Region 11 Chairperson of Lions District 404 A2, Lion Dr Kaosoluchi Onyemaechi Enyi, noted that the outreach aligns squarely with the Lions Clubs’ global mandate of “Service to Mankind.” She explained that the project also fits into Lions International’s seasonal focus on combating hunger. “Between December and January, Lions International carries out hunger-related projects, and this activity is in line with that global objective,” she said.
In the various communities, widows assembled in town halls and school compounds to receive the items. Many offered prayers and heartfelt words of gratitude, invoking divine blessings upon the organisers and donors.
The day’s activities rounded off with club members converging at the Piano Bar on Aba Road, where they shared light refreshments and fellowship, reflecting on a successful outreach that harmonised music, service and humanity in true reggae and Lions spirit***
