Follow Us on Google
From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
As the Christmas celebrations approach, Olusola Bayode Foundation (OBF), has distributed food items to 100 indigent widows in Ekiti State.
According to the Bayode Family of Ikere-Ekiti in Ikere Local Government Area of the state, the gesture was instituted to sustain one of the legacies of their late father, Chief Olusola Bayode, a foremost educator and retired secondary school teacher renowned for his philanthropy and for grooming leaders in his lifetime.
The widows from Ado-Ekiti and Ikere-Ekiti, the country home of the late famous educationist, smiled home with food items such as rice, vegetable oil, food seasoning and other ingredients.
The family noted that the initiative, which was the brainchild and an annual affair carried out by the late Bayode, would be sustained through the foundation.
This year’s edition, though the Foundation’s first, had 50 of the widows drawn from St Luke’s Anglican Church, Ikere-Ekiti, and another 50 from Christ Church (Anglican Communion), Ado-Ekiti, the two churches where the late pioneer Principal of Aisegba Grammar School worshipped while alive.
Speaking on the sustenance of their father’s legacies, one of the children, who is the President, Olusola Bayode Foundation (OBF), Mrs Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi said: “I think what we have done in this season of celebration because the economy is hard, is our own way of identifying with the widows. For some people, you will be amazed how little things can mean so much to them. And so for us, it is about if basic things are taken care of, you are sure of a meal or more than a meal for this period rather than for people just being centred on themselves without thinking of those out there that may not have the means of survival. And it is also a message for other members of the society.
“When our daddy was alive, one of the things that were very important and dear to him was the welfare of the widows. So, typically every Christmas, he would give widows gifts, those that knew him personally and those from the church. So, that is what is done and it is good to know about him.”
Mrs Bayo-Ajayi also said to reinforce and sustain their father’s initiative, when he died, the family thought of immortalising him by starting a foundation which is centred on the passion that he demonstrated while alive. These are education for students, capacity development for school administrators and taking care of indigent widows.
Said she: “We have mapped out a few activities that we will do under the foundation. And one of the activities is this outreach programme that we are doing for widows this Christmas, just a way of saying that we recognise them and we are just giving back to them. So in all, we have done a hundred widows. We started off by saying, let’s start from the basics and identify with widows in these two locations.”
The OBF President explained that the foundation, which was inaugurated in April 2022, was anchored on three pillars, namely; students’ education, school administrators’ capacity development and indigent widows, and it has a calendar that guides the entire process. “The widows’ event takes place in December. For the school empowerment programme and the school administrators’ capability programme, what we plan is to have a workshop for school administrators, principals of schools, and we are in discussion with the State Ministry of Education. The other programme for students is an essay competition for schools in Ekiti State, on which we are also working with the ministry. So it depends on when we have the go-ahead because we cannot just enter those locations like that.”
She expressed optimism that by April 2023 which will mark the first anniversary of the inauguration of the foundation, the essay competition would come on stream.
Mrs Bayo-Ajayi stressed: “But the programme itself will start before then. It is the finals that will be around April. For the teachers, because my father read Geography and he taught Geography, and he also taught Literature, so those two subjects are going to be the areas of focus to respect the teachers.”
She added that based on the plan and since there are teachers and students that have good grades in areas like the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) such people in those two subjects will get recognition. “And you know WAEC is not coming up until maybe June, July, August. So that is the plan we have for the teachers to recognise them next year.”
In appreciation, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs Falaki Florence, who spoke on behalf of other recipients, said: “We are thankful because you remembered us for good even at this period of economic hardship. May God continue to remember you for good too. The Lord will bless and restock you greatly. No evil will befall you all and the Foundation will grow bigger and better.”
The late Chief Olusola Bayode was Principal of the prestigious Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti between 1984 and 1994 when he retired, during which he groomed thousands of students that are doing very well in different areas of human endeavours across all continents.
