NPO promotes unity through clean-ups

Etsako in Diaspora kitted in their bright red T-shirts cleaning up the streets of Parklands.

Some Nigerian nationals have formed a group to do good deeds in the city, and they have started by cleaning the streets of Parklands.

The group, Estako in Diaspora, did a community clean-up in Parklands Main Road on Saturday February 16.

Bright Ogedengbe, who leads the group, said they wanted to promote unity in the city.

“We realised that there are many things happening in the city, and we are trying to help ease the problems faced by its people.”

He said Estako in Diaspora was started in September last year and it had applied for registration as a non-profit organisation.

So far it remains unregistered, but that, according to Mr Ogedengbe “is not going to slow us down from trying to help those in need”.

The group takes its name from the Etsak people, one of the major ethnic groups in Edo State, Nigeria.

Wendy Robertson, of the Table View Community Police Forum, praised the group showing pride in the community. “If everyone can do their bit to help, the better our neighbourhood will be,” she said.

Ms Robertson said the forum was open to the idea of working with the group on certain projects.

Leo Azebeokhai, the Etsako in Diapora’s general secretary, said they also wanted to challenge stereotypes.

“People tend to think that all Nigerians have bad intentions and are involved in crime, when actually it’s a few people that try to ruin things for everyone,” he said.