- Says over 30,000 widows registered for pet project, WAOH
From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
As schools resume in Ekiti State next week, the wife of the state governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, on Monday put smiles on the faces of some vulnerable pupils in the state as she distributed school materials to 400 of them, noting that the initiative was borne out of her passion and love for the underprivileged.
The indigent pupils from public primary and secondary schools were drawn from the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.
The First Lady distributed brand new school bags containing water bottles, food warmers, six 60-leaves exercise books, mathematical sets and transport allowance to each of the beneficiaries of the exercise majority of whom were orphans under her Back to School Programme for Vulnerable Children.
Dr Oyebanji explained that the Education Empowerment Programme which was part of her Widows and Orphans Hope (WAOH) Project was also to relieve the guardians and caregivers of the pupils the burden to be shouldered as the school resumption date was near.
She explained that the gifts given to the kids were an opportunity to make an impact in their lives, give them a sense of belonging, support their education to motivate them to do well in their studies and ensure that their smooth resumption back to school was not hampered by poverty.
The Governor’s wife who assured that the support for the indigent kids would be a continuous exercise to incorporate more beneficiaries also revealed her intention to launch an Interface With Adolescents very soon to cater to their needs.
Dr Oyebanji who disclosed that WAOH Project would be formally unveiled in October revealed that over 30,000 widows have so far been registered under the scheme to support them and give them succour socially and economically.
She emphasized that the scheme was not government-sponsored but was bankrolled by her friends and partners urging privileged individuals, corporate bodies and interest groups to support her pet project with funds to enable her to assist the poorest of the poor.
She said: “The initiative is borne out of my passion and love for the underprivileged. Don’t forget I am a teacher and I have been a teacher all my life and I have seen all sorts of things in the course of my academic journey.
” In my University, I have seen students that are indigent and brilliant that one has to personally by the grace of God intervene so that they don’t drop out of school. It has always been a burden and now that I have the platform why can’t I reach out in my own little way?
” Of course, one cannot do everything but this one that I have touched 400 of them is something. We will be touching them little by little. It is borne out of my passion for the underprivileged and my training as a teacher over the years.”
Dr Oyebanji added, “This is not a political jamboree, this is not a government-sponsored programme. It is with the support of my office, friends, and partners. This is an opportunity for people and organizations to support our project so that we can make more impact on the lives of the vulnerable persons among us.
“Every week, I drop N200,000 in WAOH’s office to be shared with the needy widows because God has put us here to have an impact on their lives. We have to give them life, we have to give them hope and we have to give them a platform to assist them and give support to those who have been left on the fringes of the society.”
She disclosed that orphans in tertiary institutions and other mature orphans who are not in schools would be accommodated when WAOH comes on stream in October to assist them in their studies and vocations.
Dr Oyebanji revealed that over 30,000 widows in the state had registered for various forms of assistance through her WAOH Project noting that the screening conducted for the intending beneficiaries had helped to identify their needs and how to meet them.
Speaking earlier, the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, lauded the First Lady for taking a personal interest in offering hope for the needy, especially the widows and orphans noting that the gesture, is sowing great seeds of impact into their lives.
The Deputy Governor said the Back to School Programme of the First Lady would boost the pupils’ interest in education and give them a sense of pride among their colleagues as the new school session is about to take off in the state.
She also commended Dr Oyebanji for coming up with the WAOH initiative which she noted would alleviate the suffering encountered by widows and give them hope and joy in their time of need and give them a platform of economic empowerment.
A beneficiary of the largesse, Oluwasoyin Aduragbemi, a Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3) female student of Orija High School, Emure-Ekiti, expressed happiness and appreciated the First Lady for the gesture.
” I feel very happy. I have been longing to have something like this but there is nobody to go to. I thank the First Lady for remembering us.. God will continue to bless her and her family. As she makes us happy, God will make her happy too.”
Another beneficiary, Afofun Feranmi, a Primary Five male pupil of CAC, Oke Aanu, Primary School, Ido-Ekiti, whose countenance depicted joy thanked the Governor’s wife for reaching out to them.
” I am very happy for this(Laughs). I pray God will continue to help the wife of the Governor. God will protect her and her family, She will not die prematurely.”
The programme was attended by the Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bolaji Olagbaju, who led other lawmakers to the event; members of the state executive council, local government chairmen, top civil servants, labour leaders and other stakeholders in education.