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…..As Chef Mimi’s Outreach Impacts Lives in FCT Suburb

In a powerful demonstration of compassion, sustainability, and structured community upliftment, the Project 100 Initiative—a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Dine and Pack Limited—descended on the Zhidu community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with a mission to deliver more than aid. It came with a promise: lasting impact.

Spearheaded by the dynamic and passionate Executive Director of the initiative, Chef Aishatu Gamalia, widely known as Chef Mimi, the outreach brought together medical professionals, social advocates, volunteers, and partner organisations to serve the needs of one of Abuja’s overlooked communities.

Speaking during the outreach, Chef Mimi underscored the deep vision behind the initiative and the motivation that drives it:

“Project 100 Initiative is our CSR. I have always had the need to train people. I have seen people come to me for training and they cannot afford the fees. I’m teaching them basic skills like baking—things that can bring in daily income,” she said.

“If you bake, if you cook, if you do your Zobo, if you do your soap—if you go out there, at least you’ll come back home with a thousand Naira. So that is what our dream and our vision is, and that’s what we’re targeted at doing.”

The outreach in Zhidu marked the first phase of a three-tiered project aimed at bringing comprehensive support to the community. Chef Mimi was visibly moved by the unfolding success of the event, which she described as “amazing”:

“We came with a lot of things, more than a thousand different things and everybody is going away with something. Our target is—no matter how many people come up here today—you will go with one thing,” she affirmed.

“It could be one bag of pure water, a plate of food, a piece of clothing. And we can see people are going away with bags of water, moodles of Gari and all that. So it’s very satisfying. I am glad that we are here. I am glad that everything is turning out just fine.”

With activities ranging from medical consultations and drug dispensation to food distribution and personal care support, the outreach was both wide-reaching and inclusive.

“The medical team are doing well—dispensing drugs, diagnosing and taking up cases. Everything is working out just fine. I’m happy. So the most important thing in something like this together is impact.”

A Three-Legged Vision for Sustainable Development

Chef Mimi elaborated on the long-term goals of the Project 100 Initiative, revealing that the Zhidu outreach is only the beginning of a structured empowerment agenda designed to provide both immediate relief and lasting change.

“Our impact level goal is in three dimensions. This is the first leg, which is the outreach,” she explained. “The second leg is the Back to School project. As God will have it, we’re even doing this in a school community.”

“We have a project where we come to the various institutions, we pick out different students—some of them are recommended by the school, maybe honour roll. We give them materials—bags, books, and stationeries.”

Beyond scholastic support, the initiative targets children whose families cannot afford education:

“For those children who want to come to school but cannot afford the education, we place them on a scholarship. And because we want a long-term and a more sustainable thing, we’re coming back to this community.”

The third leg, according to her, will focus on economic empowerment:

“The third leg of it is picking five to ten individuals from here and putting them on our empowerment programme and setting them up business-wise. So it’s a three-leg programme and then this is the first one. The second is the Back to School and the third is the Empowerment.”

Medical Outreach with a Human Touch

Partnering with Project 100 Initiative on the outreach was Pro-Health International, a renowned non-governmental organization that has been offering free medical care across Africa for over 30 years. Representing the organization, Ms. Chisom Orizu explained the depth and heart behind their work:

“Basically, the major thing we do is to carry out free medical outreaches across different states in Nigeria and even in Africa. So we go to underserved communities—people that cannot afford quality healthcare.”

“We do surgeries, dental and eye care. We give out free drugs, free glasses. And all these things are free. And we do it with the love of Christ.”

For Pro-Health, the goal goes beyond physical healing:

“We don’t just go to give out free healthcare to people. We also go to spread the love of Christ, reach out to people, evangelise, talk to people one-on-one. Some people don’t really need drugs or anything. What they need is maybe a word of encouragement, a hug, maybe a scripture.”

“Some are not saved. So we take the gospel of Jesus even to these communities alongside the work we do. And we’ve been able to reach millions of souls in these 30 years.”

Orizu confirmed the effectiveness of their partnership with Project 100 at Zhidu:

“This is our first time here, partnering with Project 100 Initiative. We have medical outreach going on. Our doctors, nurses, med lab scientists, and pharmacists are all here.”

“We also have food distribution, sanitary pads, spray and other stuff going on. We also have sensitisation programmes. We’ve had talks on mental health and other things.”

Menstrual Health Goes Green and Sustainable

Another key component of the outreach was menstrual health education and the distribution of sustainable menstrual products, spearheaded by Ann Rhodes, popularly known as the Environment Enthusiast, representing the Africa Women Conference – Next (AWC-Next).

“It’s a sustainable alternative,” she said of the menstrual cup she promotes. “We are not just telling them stop using this thing (regular pads). We are providing something that is better and more effective.”

Rhodes explained the rationale for switching to menstrual cups:

“It is safe, it is sustainable, it’s budget-friendly. A single cup can last for as long as 10 years, so you don’t have to be investing in purchasing menstrual pads every single month.”

She also highlighted her efforts to ensure affordability:

“I try to crowdfund. I search for funds from people that are able to pay for these things for people in underserved communities. When I get such sponsorships, I come to local communities and distribute the products for free. They don’t have to pay.”

Sharing her own experience with the product, Rhodes revealed the life-changing health benefits:

“Pads soak up blood, but while they do, they unintentionally start to mop up the normal moisture that should be present in the vagina. That leads to dryness, which causes itching.”

“For most of my life, I thought it was normal that after my period, I should have vaginal itching. But I can tell you honestly that after changing to menstrual cups, I realised after four months I didn’t need tablets anymore for relief. The itching never came back.”

Her powerful testimony resonated with participants like Janet Sunday, a local woman who received one of the menstrual cups.

“The first time she was explaining it, I felt, ah, how would this thing enter into a woman’s private part?” Janet admitted. “But when she explained to me, I knew I can be able to make use of it now. She took time to explain how to use it—fold it and insert it, then remove it, wash it and reuse it.”

A Message of Unity and Fellowship

Earlier in the day, Chief Eli J. Gamaliel, a director with Project 100 and father of the day, delivered a deeply reflective opening address.

“The essence of coming together here is to reach out, to show fellowship and also extend all the good thoughts and actions—making flesh all the things that are intended on paper of the company in this community,” he said.

“God who is in heaven made everyone. He made the male, female, children, all the adults. He made Christians, Muslims. It was His choice to make us in different cadre, levels, and standards. Why? So we can worship Him and also fellowship with one another.”

“This is the fellowship we are bringing to this community,” he added. “It’s important that we take such actions into communities like this because they might seem to have been forgotten.”

His words closed with a call to gratitude and hope:

“We should be grateful. If you don’t get the medical help you want, if you don’t get the food or the clothing, at least be grateful that people came to visit you. That will be a turnaround.”

Looking Forward

With phase one of the Project 100 Initiative successfully executed in Zhidu, the momentum is only just building. The coming phases promise not only educational and entrepreneurial support but an enduring commitment to transformation—one child, one family, one community at a time.

For the people of Zhidu, the day was not just about receiving—it was about being seen, being valued, and being empowered. And as Chef Mimi emphasized, impact is what it’s all about.

“I’m glad that everything is turning out just fine. The most important thing is impact—and we are seeing it happen.”

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