From Project 26 to the Nnenna Orji Charity Foundation.
We are not a large organisation. We are a disciplined one. What follows is the honest record of how a one-street meal drive became a two-city foundation.
We are not a large organisation. We are a disciplined one.
What follows is the story of how one vision, a group of friends and a simple act of giving grew into the Nnenna Orji Charity Foundation.
On 26 December 2020, one visioner and her group of friends came together with a simple desire: to bring food and a little joy to people in their community during the Christmas season.They prepared 120 plates of jollof rice and took them to Ajah Under Bridge, Lagos, where they shared the meals with people in the community.There was no elaborate organisation behind it.Just a vision, willing hands and the belief that something good could begin with what they had.They called it Project 26, after the date of the outreach.What began as a single Boxing Day meal would eventually become something much bigger.The following year, they discovered a limitation of the hot meal:It ends.So they began thinking beyond the meal.They added the box.Food staples, essential items and clothing contributed and prepared by volunteers became part of what would eventually become A Box of Hope.The idea was simple: if a meal could provide nourishment for a moment, a box could provide something that lasted a little longer.And so, Project 26 began to evolve.
By 2022, the operation had outgrown goodwill.A volunteer roster was written down. A sorting protocol replaced the pile on the floor. Procurement became more deliberate, moving from individual retail purchases towards bulk buying.The work was becoming more organised.Not because the heart behind it had changed, but because the vision had grown.In 2023, the work extended to Kano, creating a second outreach hub.In 2024, Project 26 formally became the Nnenna Orji Charity Foundation, giving the work a formal organisational structure.And by 2026, the cumulative number of boxes and meals distributed had passed 800.Today, NOCF continues to grow while holding on to the principle that started everything:Give what you can. Show up. And make sure people know they have not been forgotten.
BY THE NUMBERS
Mission, vision and what we hold ourselves to.
Our Mission
To place practical, dignified support directly in the hands of vulnerable households in Nigeria — food, clothing and essentials, delivered in person, without bureaucracy.
Our Vision
A Nigeria where no household spends the festive season unseen, and where community giving is organised, accountable and repeatable rather than occasional.
Our Commitments
Full itemisation of every box. Published delivery counts. Volunteers named, never anonymous crowds. Nothing distributed that we would not accept ourselves.
2020 – 2026, year by year
A look at how a one-day food drive became a year-round outreach program across two hubs.
A single Boxing Day meal drive in Ajah, Lagos with over 200+ hot meals cooked and shared by a group of friends.
The drive becomes a package with raw food items, cleaning utensils and essentials packed for 150+ households.
A clearer strategy emerges, shaped by what we learned along the way. And with it, the idea for the box came to life.
We resumed the project, adding new items to make the pack more complete. The goal was to create a pack capable of feeding a family of five.
Project 26 expands to Kano, marking its first step beyond the South-West. From there, the idea of the box begins to come to life.
A breakfast session bringing together the founder and people from across the community.
Food, clothing, medicals and cash channels run all year, with Boxing Day remaining the flagship outreach.
"When we started this journey back in December 2020, the world was reeling from the impact of COVID-19, and we never believed we were going to grow this big today."
What began as a simple, heart-driven effort to support local families in our community during a time of deep uncertainty quickly transformed into something far bigger than we ever imagined.Living by our motto, "A Box of Hope," our mission is to ensure that no individual or family feels forgotten. Through every distribution whether filled with food essentials, warm clothing, or vital medical care, we deliver practical relief, dignity, and a reminder that help is always within reach.What started in a single neighborhood has now expanded across states, powered entirely by the overwhelming generosity of donors and supporters like you across social media. Every single contribution turns empathy into action, transforming a simple box into a lifeline for those who need it most.Thank you for standing with us, sharing our vision, and helping us deliver hope one box, one family, and one community at a time.With deep gratitude,
The people accountable for the work.
Daniel Orjikalu
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONSStarted Project 26 in 2020 with six friends and a rented pot. Leads strategy and partner relationships.
Bethel Ugwu
HEAD OF FINANCERuns day-to-day operations across both hubs, including procurement and the December logistics chain.
David Orji
KANO HUB LEADCoordinates northern outreach, route mapping and community liaison across Nassarawa and Fagge.
Nora Anucha
LEAD, TICKETINGOwns volunteer intake, training and the sorting-day roster for clothing and food stations.
Genevieve Atanmoh
LEAD, INVENTORYStarted Project 26 in 2020 with six friends and a rented pot. Leads strategy and partner relationships.
Maxwell Jedeofor
HEAD OF FINANCERuns day-to-day operations across both hubs, including procurement and the December logistics chain.
Coordinates our transportation and distribution logistics across all hubs.
Leads the medical outreach team, providing consultations and basic care.
Outreach in Lagos and Kano.
Photographs from sorting days, kitchen shifts, loading runs and delivery mornings.
