The pet project of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Hopes Alive Initiative, has launched an advocacy television tagged HAI TV for the less privileged in the society, especially youths, to help them achieve their desires.
Hopes Alive Initiative, which commenced operations in December 2017, is a social advocacy platform to alleviate the economic, cultural and environmental challenges and reducing their impact on the global society.
The television show, according to the Deputy Convener, Temitope Adesegun, who spoke during its unveiling in Lagos, was the monarch’s Initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty in the society.
She said the show was an advocacy programme solely dedicated to the underprivileged in the society.
“It is going to be a TV show where any Non-Governmental Organisation can bring any problem or solution, their activities, challenges or whatever they are doing in their NGO, which can now be showcased on a laudable platform, where everyone can see and embrace,” she said.
Adesegun explained further that the programme would be all-encompassing, adding that the Ooni had a dream for an average child just locked up in the four corner of a classroom, to take such to different parts of the country to know what is going on there.
”It is all-encompassing, we are not segregating or dividing; it’s all in one as long as you are tagged an under-privileged. Either educationally you are not able to go to school, or financially you are not able to do your daily activities, responsibility or you are not able to achieve your desire on a daily basis due to lack of fund, then we are here for you,” she said.
The Hopes Alive Initiatives convener explained that Nigerians had come to the realisation that the non-governmental bodies were fast becoming the pillars on which the marginalised in the society relied on, but, regrettably, most of them were still facing difficulties in achieving their aims and fulfilling their mission.
She said within a few months the organisation had done a lot, having visited the IDPs camp in Abuja with a population of 5,470 and provided books, school bags, stationeries, drugs for their hospitals as well as sinking a borehole to provide pipe-borne water for the community.
”The simplest way to describe an underprivileged person is someone who cannot comfortably eat three square meals per day, can’t afford the minimum living standard, which is equated to a Dollar per day. Someone that lives below that standard on a daily basis is considered as underprivileged,” she said.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who was represented by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, said it was the wish of every dreamer to have his or her wish become a reality.
He added that the monarch marveled at the immeasurable success already recorded by his pet project within a short period of time, saying that he had innate passion to give hope to the hopeless and turn the story of the underprivileged positively.
The monarch said he was overwhelmed to see his heartfelt wishes being tremendously actualized, particularly through his pet project.
He added that he was, therefore, encouraged to remain totally committed to making its dreams a reality.
He said, “Hopes Alive Initiatives is part of the 11-point youth oriented agenda of His Imperial Majesty, which can only be driven by programmes and initiatives.
“That is why Hopes Alive has gathered all NGOs that have the same vision to work together as partners in progress to share information about themselves with a view to working better to put smiles on the faces of the less privileged in the society.”
He said government should create an enabling environment for NGOs, because they complemented government’s efforts by going directly to the people government could not reach.
“Government should find a way of encouraging them and not to impose laws on them,” he said..
Speaking on the HAI, President of Genotype Foundation, Doris Gbemiloye, said the idea of a television show that would bring all NGOs together with the a view to reaching out to more people, was a welcome development as this would go a long way in reducing hardship in the country.
She added that with the show, Genotype Foundation would be able to reach more people, especially on the need to have a genotype test before marriage.
