A Voice in the Crowd: William Kouffie’s First Ride with the Feed a Child, Save a Life Outreach

“I’ve spoken to crowds before. I’ve used a mic to command rooms. But never have I held a microphone and felt this much weight, this much purpose, this much joy, all at once.”

On July 27, 2024, I joined the MyHelp-YourHelp Foundation for the first time, right in the heart of Accra, for their 6th Anniversary ‘Feed the Street Kids’ outreach. What was meant to be a simple food distribution quickly turned into one of the most humbling and joyful experiences of my life. From the National Theatre to Madina Zongo Junction, we didn’t just hand out meals. We met stories. We met pain. We met hope.

I was given a mic to engage the crowd, but something in me knew this wasn’t just about making announcements. So I used that mic not to instruct, but to connect. I called out to people, “Come closer! You matter!” I danced with children in the middle of traffic. I listened to names, asked questions, celebrated their energy, and reminded them – they are seen.

Every stop became a mini celebration. We played music. We sang. We laughed. But behind those smiles were real, aching stories, like that of Nafisatu, a teenager we met at Madina. When I asked her what she wanted to say to the world, she simply said:

“Please, let this happen more often. We come from Niger. We have no one. We beg to survive. We sleep under bridges and in uncompleted buildings. Today, I will eat like a human being.”

That moment hit me like thunder. And it wasn’t isolated.

At the National Theatre, it started calmly, but quickly, the crowd grew aggressive. Hungry junkies and desperate hands swarmed our trucks. We were almost overrun as children, teens, and even adults rushed in from every direction. From Tudu, from Makola, from the corners of the Central Business District. The numbers kept swelling. Children poured in, many barefoot, some with babies strapped to their backs. Hungry. Hurting. Hopeful.

Their desperation said one thing louder than any cry: people are starving in our city.

“Streetism is more than a statistic. It is a crisis,” our founder Nicholas Cofie had said.

I saw that crisis firsthand.

Still, our team pushed forward. We served nearly 1,000 children, with warm jollof rice, grilled chicken, drinks, and most importantly, dignity. Because this wasn’t just food, it was affirmation. It said: “You are not forgotten. You are not a burden. You are loved.”

To the MyHelp-YourHelp Foundation, thank you. You didn’t just invite me to a project, you invited me into a mission. A movement.

“This was more than outreach. It was a declaration of worth. And I will forever be honored to have stood in the middle of that street, microphone in hand, watching love move like a convoy of light across a city’s darkest corners.”

To the public, to the corporate world, to fellow citizens: you must come see what we saw. The need is overwhelming. And the hands are many. But so is the hope – if we all show up.

With purpose and passion,
William Kouffie
Volunteer, MyHelp-YourHelp Foundation