Earlier this year, we hosted our first international dinner in Lagos Nigeria. Recently, one of our Lagos hosts, Efua Oyofo, took some time to share her thoughts on Our Family Dinner with us as she prepares for the second Lagos Dinner next week.

Photos Courtesy of Our Brother Ighosime Oyofo

When I first moved back to Nigeria, there was nothing like Our Family Dinner. After spending long periods of time in London and DC for boarding school and college respectively, I didn’t know many people in Lagos.  I even contemplated moving back, but wanted to wait and complete my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).  This helped change things around for me, and I met some really great people that helped me enjoy my life and my time in Nigeria. I can only imagine how much bigger the world would have seemed if I’d had access to something like Our Family Dinner when I first moved back.

“I can only imagine how much bigger the world would have seemed if I’d had access to something like Our Family Dinner when I first moved back”

When a friend of mine invited me to the first Lagos dinner, I was really confused, as I had never heard of Our Family Dinner. I wasn’t sure if I was going to attend, but I always look forward to meeting new people, and wanted my sister to meet interesting people as well. So after a while, I figured – why not embrace the unknown? I assumed the Dinner would be a networking event, but I wasn’t sure how I would build a “family” by going, especially as I often go to a lot of networking events.

If I could describe Our Family Dinner in one word it would be “endearing”. When I attended my first dinner, I met many really interesting people with paths all across the world. It was a nice reminder of how wonderful it is to have a larger network of people in the form of family. Having the opportunity to meet different family members allows us to possibly meet people that could help us change how we see the world, or have a deep and meaningful impact on the lives of others around us.

Having the opportunity to meet different family members allows us to possibly meet people that could help us change how we see the world, or have a deep and meaningful impact on the lives of others around us.

After attending her first dinner Efua also recognized the potential to grow as a volunteer host and for other family members when they attend an Our Family Dinner event.

I knew all of the hosts before, but serving as a part of the Lagos team has allowed us to get to know each other in new ways and add new dimensions to our relationships. In all, I would say that my experience with Our Family Dinner has been very heartwarming. Family members sometimes just have an endless capacity for love and adventure.

Family members sometimes just have an endless capacity for love and adventure.

Having the opportunity to connect with new family members is what Our Family Dinner is all about. The possibilities are endless by simply attending and connecting with other family members in the room.