A non-governmental organisation in Osun State, Emi-Kola Afolabi Foundation, has distributed grinding machines to some widows in the state as a means of empowering them economically.
The foundation, in its usual style every year, empower the less privileged in the society by providing them with money to start up business, give them working equipment and also sponsor academic pursuits of indigent students.
At this year’s edition of the philanthropic gesture, the foundation, on Friday, at its office in Osogbo, gave out thirteen grinding machines to 13 widows and urged them to put them into good use for profits and use the proceeds to sustain their family members.
Speaking at the programme, the chairman, Emi-Kola Afolabi Foundation Board, Prof Olu Agbedahunsi, urged the beneficiaries to sustain the grinding business and make it a venture that would improve their living conditions.
Agbedahunsi disclosed that the foundation, established 18 years ago, by Sir and Mrs Afolabi, has been touching countless lives positively and empowering the vulnerable in different capacities.
He said, “The co-founders of the Foundation, Sir James Adekola and Lady Lucy Emiola Afolabi established it 18 years ago. They established this foundation to commemorate their wedding anniversary and it was inaugurated at St Patrick Catholic Church, Basorun, Ibadan. It was registered with the Cooperate Affairs Commission.
“Since that day, the Foundation has been growing in lips and bounds. One of the primary aims of the Foundation is to help the less privileged, indigent students in particular. Some have lost their parents or one of their parents and catering for their education has been challenging. Since then, we have assisted a number of this people. We have trained very many of them in secondary and primary schools and others in higher institutions.
“Every year, we have been doing one thing or the other. And thank the Lord that we are doing well. We started empowering the widows about four years ago. Quite a number of them, when they lose their husbands, due to cultural challenges, they are abandoned without any means of livelihoods. Initially, we were given them money and we discovered that we rather use the money to invest in a business.
“We give them grinding machines which we have been doing for the past four years or so.”
He discouraged them against selling the grinding equipment, informing them that, “Some use to sell it. To ensure that the beneficiaries use these grinding machines and make ends meet and empower themselves, we will be sending out field officers to check how you are using it and the progress you are making.”
A medical personnel, Dr Mrs Josephine Bolanle Peju Adeniji called on thr beneficiaries to maintain standard hygiene while attending to their customers, and also ensure they live healthily.
The beneficiaries lauded the donor NGO and promised to use the grinding machines to improve their living conditions.
Mrs Cecelia Sunday and Oyewo Roseline, after receiving the machines among other widows, said the intervention was timely as they had been longing for what would make them self sustaining.
