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Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
The Multiple Birth Trust Fund disbursement has been restored in Ekiti State after a break of four years, courtesy of products support made to 104 families by the First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi.
She expressed happiness that the trust fund was back: “I say congratulations to you all on these blessings from God Almighty. It is my fervent hope that these babies you carry are going to be sources of joy and happiness for you all the days of your life, May you never mourn over them. May you never grieve over them, and may you live to reap the fruits of your labour.
Items distributed at the occasion included cash gifts, baby foods and other support products.
“The Multiple Birth Trust Fund was initiated in 2010 just after the inauguration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi. Throughout the first tenure of Fayemi as Governor of Ekiti State, the trust fund assisted families blessed by God with multiple births but due to their circumstances were finding it difficult to cope.
“We were receiving many reports of mothers giving birth to twins or triplets in the hospitals and the fathers running away because they were scared of how they were going to settle the bills of their obligations.
“I was deeply saddened to note that this initiative did not continue in the post-Fayemi administration. It is, therefore, my pleasure that it has commenced now as part of the Social Investment Programmes of JKF2. However, I am also using this opportunity to alert the public that we are going to be working on ways to ensure that this program is institutionalised, so that it is not done at the discretion of incoming administration but is done as a matter of cause, as an obligation to Ekiti people. Therefore we are going to be seeking legislation to back the fund.”
Commissioner for Women Affairs, Moji Fafure, urged the multiple birth parents to utilise the amount given to them for the care and upkeep of their babies.
Mrs. Oriowo Victoria who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries lauded Fayemi for the initiative while describing it as unprecedented.
The fund between 2010 and 2014 supported at least 740 families. While some of these families received cash and products support from the administration, investments were also made on behalf of some of the families who had triplets. The investments were created to support the children through school on a long-term basis.
