What started as a day to forget in Benin, Edo State, for a food vendor, when her wheelbarrow, filled with food she was vending, tipped over and emptied her contents while under attack from a task force created to combat street trading, has ended in praise, www.calitown.com can reveal.
After her unfortunate situation was published on social media, on April 5, 2019, social critic and commentator, Cross River born Ray Ugba Morphy, reacted to the situation on Facebook this way: “Can anyone find this woman for me? As can be seen in the pic, Edo State Task force destroyed her wares!”
He continues, “I want to pay for a shop for her and replace what she lost! Nobody can stop her shine! Let’s tell those government people that they cannot destroy our entrepreneurial spirit! We will keep striving AND succeeding! They destroyed her wares to humiliate her spirit but we can uphold her in this her hour of need! Let’s strive to stand up for one another! Thank you.”
Less than 24 hours after Morphy posted his intentions for the woman, he had more than four thousand Facebook shares, two thousand plus likes and comments respectively.
While www.calitown.com monitored the situation, on April 7, 2019, she was located and Morphy’s post for that day showed something exceptional followed the discovery of the woman and another one who suffered the same fate. He wrote: “Today we paid for their shops at 17 Omene Johnson, a good business location in Benin, (actually, two food vendors were involved) Where there was sorrow, there is now gladness! We thank God that the renovation of the shops are on right now! Special thanks goes to everyone on social media who helped us find the women, who made her story go viral! Thank you for your moral support and prayers for these two hardworking Edo women. Special thanks to Anthony Ojo who located the women and was my emissary to them. My appreciation also goes To Jude Chijioke Ndukwe who linked me to Anthony Ojo. Good to know that there are many trustworthy people still around!”
In one of the videos of the women posted online, they can be seen expressing happiness and praying for Morphy, the philanthropic Cross Riverian who modestly responded saying, “our statement Is that we should love one another without discrimination, and we should be ready to help one another without deliberation!”
“Working together, WE CAN Change lives. By our collective efforts, these two young women have gone from harassed mobile food hawkers to their own restaurants. It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our sight. Know this, a misfortune, no matter how dire, can indeed be a blessing in disguise! It is well! Thank you once again to all who shared their story! I too, I am inspired!”