I Sacrificed Playing Football Abroad To Pick Up Abandoned Children Off The Streets, David Abraham
Xplicit Dancers from Explicit Home of Favour Initiatives took the shine at a recent fashion show in Lagos attended by Legit.ng head of entertainment desk, Sola Sanusi. Many were astonished at their energetic performances, which earned them standing ovations.
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Xplicit Dancers are a group young boys and girls who engage in vigorous and scintillating dancing to entertain their audiences.
Legit.ng discovered that these children are from different broken homes. Some of them are complete orphans with nowhere to stay and no one to cater for them, found by David Abraham, a former professional footballer who played with the famous local league, 3SC, of Ibadan. He led them to the fashion show.
Source: Instagram
Abraham exclusively spoke on his vision for the children and how he came to be a father of many children, just like the biblical Abraham who had 'many sons' with Legit.ng. He narrates:
"Explicit Home of Favour Initiatives is an empowerment home, a vision God gave to me almost 20 years ago to get children from troubled backgrounds off the streets and give them a godly upbringing under my parental guardian. They have to see me as their parent, myself and my wife, not as children living with us but as our own children."
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The ex-footballer noted that:
"Most of them are orphans; some are from single helpless parents, some from broken homes and another set from indigent backgrounds. We all live together with my wife and children. ( My son led the dance you just watched.)."
What is the age range of these children? The father of many said:
"We have from age 7 - 28. The older ones grew with us till they attain their present age. Some of them have been with us for over 10 years. The home has been in existence since 2005. Some of these children are siblings, we have a family of five, some four, three and another set of two from the same parents."
Abraham answered in the affirmative, wondering if they get any form of education because of their large number. He claimed the home had produced many university graduates, and some acquired other skills.
"Over 60 of them are graduates, over 30 are married. Akpororo is my son-in-law, he married one of my daughters."
With many children and the present state of the Nigerian economy, how does he fund the running of the home?
"It has been God. Over the years, it has been a little bit of struggle. We have to perform, step up our game, minister in churches and events. Lately, God has changed this as helpers come to our aids. Beyond our dancing, God has really been helpful."
Aside from dancing, what other activities do the children in the home engage in as they can not be interested in dancing? The ex-footballer explains:
"Of course not, we sing, we have a band, some play football, some are fashion designers and they produce costumes worn by children in the home. Some are hairstylists, barbers and hairdressers and they style other children too."
One wonders how he gets the kids in his home, do they come to him or have a selection process. Abraham says he has a special way of hand picking his kids.
"I hardly accept people that come, the discernment is God's own directive. Sometimes, they could be on the street hawking or selling and I will know that's my child. At other times I spot some in the traffic. The managing director today is the biggest woman in the house aside from my wife and she is the eldest. She is a graduate of over nine years, very active. She was discovered on the street hawking zobo, she is getting married very soon."
Abraham shared his football career that he played professionally with 3SC, Green and Crown. However, he claimed that he never played his trade internationally as he had to forgo it to start the home. He said:
"I was going abroad for my international professional football career in 2000 when God said no, it was difficult to accept. Thank God I didn't say no.
The Explicit Home of Favour Initiatives is located in Ibadan and Sangotedo, Lagos. How do you coordinate the two homes?
"We actually started in Ibadan because of cheap accommodation and later in Lagos. My wife is a part of the home so when I'm away, she and the older ones take charge of the home. And all staffs of the home are beneficiaries, they grew up in the here."
President Buhari hosts orphaned dancers
Legit.ng had earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 hosted the Xplicit Dancers to a breakfast at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Femi Adesina, the president’s special adviser on media and publicity, in a statement in Abuja, said the dancers were in Abuja to show their dancing prowess at the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said their performance at Eagle Square earned them the invitation to breakfast at State House.
Source: Legit.ng
