Assisting the Poverty Crisis in Nigeria

Sophia Cardillo '26  ~  March 2025

Are you willing to help small business owners in less fortunate countries? You can contribute to this cause by donating $3 on April 25th for a sweatpants and hoodies day. Though you may be donating to wear sweatpants and hoodies, the impact your money will have on the small business owners in Nigeria is vast. 

As Nardin students, we do not face the disruptive poverty crisis Nigerian citizens deal with every day. Citizens of the United States also do not face the extreme inflation rates and difficulty making money that Nigerians do. According to Ayomi, a citizen of Nigeria, the main way to make money in Nigeria is by running a small business; however, in order to keep a small business afloat, Nigerians need materials that seem insignificant to us, but are scarce for them, like something that seems as basic as water.

The Global Innovation Challenge class has been focused on brainstorming and experimenting ways to help Ayomi and her small business, Ayomi Arts, stay afloat in the current poverty crisis in Nigeria. Ayomi tie-dyes intricate designs onto a variety of clothes for her small business, but in order for her to successfully execute her process of tie-dying, she needs clean water to rinse the clothes after they are dyed. In Ayomi’s community, there is one communal well, and she needs to use immense amounts of water for her business. To provide water for not only her business but also for her family, Ayomi needs more clean water than she has access to. This is especially problematic in the dry season when water is even more limited than usual. To assist Ayomi with the clean water crisis, we as a Nardin community could help fund installing more wells to provide more water for Ayomi’s business and her community as a whole with the money donated.