Providence College students have fulfilled the dream of a Nigerian security man in the UK, by raising funds for him to visit his family in Nigeria after almost 11 years.
Once we learned that James had not seen his family in over a decade, that is what kickstarted this for us,” Brandon Reichert said.
James is currently a security guard at the college, and as being in the UK for almost 11 years, without seeing his family. “We take care of our own and we firmly believe James is one of our own.” another student had said about him.
According to the dean of students Steven Sears, “What is so special is the impact James has had on all of us, His reaction and the authenticity not only for this group and the students involved with him and the care, and what he said at the end is that he is praying for them, he is praying for their success, and that God watches over them and that he does that everyday.”
The students, through social media, launched a successful GoFundMe campaign, initially hoping to gradually accumulate enough funds throughout the semester.
However, the response exceeded expectations, with over $6,600 raised from 230 donors in just a few days.
Reflecting on the initiative, sophomore resident advisor Daniel Singh expressed the emotional moment when they presented James with the surprise gift. He emphasized the students’ admiration for James, saying, “I mean, I was fighting back tears.”
Singh continued by describing James as “just really kind and compassionate. After a long day, you can go out after a Friday night, and you come back, and James is there.
He’s not tired, he’s not sleeping, he’s up and awake and ready to talk to you. Having that mentor and friend, just having someone to rely upon, it makes it so easy to give.” he said.
James is expected to embark on his long-awaited trip to Nigeria this June, celebrating the joyous occasion with his family.
