Christmas has arrived with little cheer for many residents of Onitsha. Economic hardship continues to hit hard, especially among the poor, the elderly and people living with disabilities.

Across the commercial city in Anambra State, many low-income residents now rely on cash gifts and food donations to get through the festive season.

Support comes from philanthropists, religious groups and market associations. For many families, survival matters more than celebration.

Poor Track Charity Distributions

Findings across the city show that destitute residents actively share information about where and when food or cash will be shared.

Many residents say this network has become their main defence against hunger. Prices of basic goods remain high, while incomes continue to shrink.

Several residents who spoke during the second-to-last week before Christmas appealed to wealthy Nigerians for help.

They warned that hunger could deepen if support does not reach vulnerable households.

Market Leaders Step In

At the annual end-of-year prayer session of Ogbaru Main Market near Onitsha, market leaders shared cash and gift items worth millions of naira with poor traders and residents.

Beneficiaries included Jacinta Moses, Joy Offor, Christian Nwodo and Emeka Ibeh.

Three Catholic priests from St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Church, Okpoko, led the prayer session. Members of the market evangelism team assisted.

Special Support for Elderly and Widows

Addressing the gathering, market president Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu announced special support for elderly residents aged 90 and above. Widows and destitute persons also received dedicated allocations.

Ochiogu explained that he and other traders donated the cash and food items through a committee of line chairmen and secretaries.

Items shared included bags of rice, cartons of noodles, vegetable oil, tomatoes, detergents and toilet rolls.

One beneficiary, Ebere Aniehe, a physically challenged woman, thanked the market leadership for remembering the poor. She urged other Nigerians to show similar kindness.

Anticipation Builds for Annual Philanthropy

Some residents said they were waiting for the annual Christmas charity events organised by transport magnate Chief Godwin Ubaka Okeke, chairman of GUO Motors Limited, and businessman Chief Ogonna Olisa, widely known as C. Ray.

Okeke earlier disclosed that he bought several bags of rice for at least 3,000 people. Each beneficiary is also expected to receive ₦3,000. The distribution is scheduled to hold at his residence in GRA, Onitsha.

Hospitals Tell a Different Story

At the Federal Medical Centre, Onitsha, Christmas offers little comfort to patients battling illness and rising medical bills.

Peter Okeke, who is receiving treatment for an enlarged heart, typhoid and high blood pressure, said survival comes before celebration.

He lamented the daily cost of drugs, noting that patients must buy prescribed medicines before treatment continues.

Beggars Feel the Economic Squeeze

Street beggars across the city also reported a sharp drop in daily earnings. Many said fewer people now give alms as the economic downturn affects households nationwide.

For many residents of Onitsha, a season once linked with joy now reflects widening inequality and a daily struggle to get by.