At its formal launch on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, a non-profit and humanitarian organisation, Oko Opo Foundation will empower 100 widows in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The foundation which seeks to cater for widows, children and other vulnerable members of the society, it was learnt, is a dream project of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, Dr Babatunde Adeyemo.
Speaking with newsmen over the launch, Adeyemo said the event starting at 9 am will be streamed live on the foundation’s official Facebook page.
Dignitaries expected at the event include veteran broadcast journalist, Eddie Aina; Public relations expert, Tope Adaramola; public affairs commentator, Mr Lanre Jaji; correspondent of The Nation Newspaper in Ogun State, Mr Ernest Nwokolo; veteran actor and Pelican brand ambassador, Mr James Sehinde, popularly known as Pa James and board of directors of the foundation.
He also revealed that the event would also include education and enlightenment talks on age-related health issues and effective coping strategies for widows which will be handled by health consultants, Pa James and Jaji, who authored a book on ageing.
Adeyemo noted that his octogenarian mother who doubles as the Iya Adinni of Ginti Muslim Community Central Mosque Ikorodu, Alhaja Sidikat Adeyemo, will share her widowhood experience with other widows.
He also said that the widows, who will be transported to and from the event, are expected to go home with food items and cash gifts, adding that the foundation will maintain a register of widows for necessary follow-up, and to facilitate the provision of modest housing accommodations including one bedroom and two-bedroom studio apartments for them to be built on an acre of land he had donated for that purpose.
He said: “I have a covenant with God that I want to dedicate my heart and soul towards giving hope to the widows. We are already leading by example because apart from distributing some materials, we built the podium purposely because of the foundation. We actually want to make it a long-term project that I will do for the rest of my life and my children can also take over from me.
“I could have used the money I have to buy exotic cars or travel abroad. I don’t have money in my account but out of none, we are still trying to cater for people that we believe are most vulnerable in the society. Instead of using the money for vacation with my family, I would rather spend the money on the needy.”
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