The significance of these rains. For me.

What a rainy day this is! It's been raining all night till this very moment. It's been so all week long in Lagos. Pretty much like the legendary 7-day rains infamously known for causing havoc in the over-crowded city. The roads get washed out. Streets get flooded. Some estates go literally under water. Some homes are submerged. Some houses give way, and cave in. Movement becomes highly impeded especially the vehicular kind.

There are so many other things that come with the ceaseless rains including accidents. Because the roads get tricky, road accidents are prevalent. In addition to rampant collapse of poorly constructed houses, there are also cases of electrocution-when live electricity cables fall inside flood water and pose great danger to, sometimes, unsuspecting pedestrians.

There's an Igbo saying that when the clouds gather, a man with leaking roof gets lost in his thoughts. Literally, that is so true. Even metaphorically, if you live in a flood-prone area, like I used to, you'd definitely be worried when the storms gather. I've been there-and I know the feeling. My experiences are better forgotten, ladies and gentlemen.

In all of this, there are people who are worst hit: the poor! They are the ones who live in houses with leaking roofs. They are the ones who live in poorly constructed houses. They are the ones who live mostly in flood-prone areas (forget the fact that some of the so called high-brow estates are mere urban slums and also flood-prone!). The slums and ghettos are occupied by the poor. There are even some folks, quite a few actually, who do not have a roof, any kind of roof, leaking or otherwise, over their heads.

Among these less privileged brothers and sisters are innocent little children, unfortunately. They are sadly and badly exposed to the elements in addition to the steady hunger they face. They are prone to diseases and infections and many do not survive beyond infancy.

These are the people I have been thinking about since I woke up to the rains at 4:30am. I feel like going out there to offer these people, especially the children, tea and warm clothing like my own children are enjoying. But I can't even make it out, unfortunately, because my area is one of those urban slums. My car will not be able to wade through the mighty oceI an that's taken over the whole area. Yes, we are rich yet so poor! I will still go out. Yes, I will, even if to drop it with St. Vincent De Paul, who are experts in serving the poor. Please go out, if you can, and look out for people you can bless today. Or visit any St. Vincent De Paul stand in any Roman Catholic Church near you. May the Great Architect of the Universe bless you as you go, and as you give.

These rains not only expose our bad roads and poorly planned neighborhoods; they also expose the poor to the elements and, more significantly, expose how poor we all are as a people, even the so called rich.

Brethren, there are too many underprivileged people who are washed up by these rains-who desperately need our assistance. Please reach and help them. Stay blessed.