One year. For a community group built on the belief that genuine friendship can change lives, reaching a first anniversary is a milestone worth marking. But Matured Like Minds did not simply gather to celebrate itself. On 5 February 2022, the group drove out to Destined Children’s Orphanage Home in Kado Estate, Abuja, and spent the day with the children there — arriving with carloads of food and gifts.

It was MLM’s first outreach activity as a named, organised community, and it set a precedent that the group has honoured every year since. Celebrating by giving. It turns out that is not just a nice idea — it is exactly what a community of mature-minded people tends to do.

Why an orphanage for a first birthday?

The answer, when you understand what Matured Like Minds is about, is obvious. MLM’s mission has always included contributing positively to society — not as an afterthought, but as a core purpose. The group’s five stated aims include fostering social well-being, encouraging personal development, and combating social isolation. Children in an orphanage experience all of these challenges acutely.

Destined Children’s Orphanage Home in Kado Estate is home to children of varying ages who have been separated from their birth families. The facility provides shelter, care and a degree of normalcy. But it always benefits from the involvement of the wider community — people who come not to inspect or assess, but simply to spend time and share what they have.

The visit

Members arrived at Kado Estate on the morning of 5 February 2022, bringing with them a generous collection of food items — bags of rice, cereals, pasta, seasonings, oil — as well as toys, games and wrapped gift items for the children. The handover was made to the home’s management, after which members spent time with the children directly.

For many MLM members, it was their first time visiting an orphanage. For some, it was a humbling reminder of how much a small investment of time and resources can mean. The children, for their part, were curious, energetic and thoroughly enjoyable company. There was singing, there were games, and there was the particular joy that comes from children discovering that adults have turned up specifically to see them.

The beginning of a tradition

Looking back now, from the vantage point of five years, it is clear that this visit did more than mark a birthday. It established the DNA of MLM’s anniversary culture: each year, the group would use the occasion to do something for someone else. Year two brought donations to Treasure Home Orphanage in Karu. Year three took members to Karshi General Hospital with wheelchairs. Late 2024 saw a Christmas party for the children of the Durumi IDP Camp. And the fifth anniversary brought 100 desks to Betharbel All Inclusive Academy.

None of that chain would have started without the decision made in early 2022: to spend MLM’s first birthday at an orphanage, not a restaurant.

“Our mission is to foster connections that not only enrich the lives of our members but also contribute positively to society as a whole.”

From the MLM Mission Statement

Thank you

To every member who contributed food, gifts or their Saturday to make this first outreach a success — thank you. To the management and carers at Destined Children’s Orphanage Home, Kado Estate — thank you for everything you do, every day. And to the children: you are the reason we come back.

If you want to be part of MLM’s next chapter of giving, get in touch today.