.Says over 30,000 widows registered for pet project, WAOH
Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, on Monday showered gifts of school materials on about 400 indigent pupils from the 16 local government areas restating her readiness to ameliorate the suffering of vulnerable people in the state.
Dr. Oyebanji distributed brand new schoolbags containing water bottles, food warmers, six 60 Leaves exercise books and transport allowance to each of the beneficiaries of the exercise majority of whom were orphans under her Back to School Programme for Vulnerable Children.
The Governor's wife explained that the Education Empowerment Programme which was part of her Widows and Orphans Hope (WAOH) Project was also to relieve the guardians and caregivers of the pupils the burden to be shouldered as the school resumption neared.
She explained that the gifts given to the kids was an opportunity to make an impact in their lives, give them a sense of belonging, support their education to motivate them to do well in their studies and ensure that their smooth resumption back to school was not hampered by poverty.
The Ekiti First Lady who assured that the support for the indigent kids would be a continuous exercise to incorporate more beneficiaries also revealed her intention to launch an Interface With Adolescents very soon to cater to their needs.
Dr. Oyebanji who disclosed that WAOH Project would be formally unveiled in October revealed that over 30,000 widows have so far been registered under the scheme to support them and give them succour socially and economically.
She emphasized that the scheme was not government sponsored but was bankrolled by her friends and partners urging privileged individuals, corporate bodies and interest groups to support her pet project with funds to enable her assist the poorest of the poor.
Dr. Oyebanji said: "This is not a political jamboree, this is not a government sponsored programme. It is with the support of my office, friends, partners. This is an opportunity for people and organizations to support our project so that we can make more impact on the lives of the vulnerable persons among us.
"Every week, I dropped N200,000 in WAOH's office to be shared to the needy widows but God has put us here to have impact on their lives. We have to give them live, we have to give them hope and we have to give them platform to assist them and give support to those who have been left on the fringes of the society."
The Ekiti First Lady disclosed that orphans on tertiary institutions and other matured orphans who are not in schools would be accommodated when WAOH comes on stream in October for assistance yo assist them in their studies and vocations.
Dr. Oyebanji revealed that over 30,000 widows in the state had registered for various forms of assistance through her WAOH Project noting that the screening conducted for the intending beneficiaries had helped to identify their needs and how to meet them.
Speaking earlier, the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, lauded the First Lady for taking a personal interest in offering hope for the needy especially the widows and orphans noting that she, the the gesture, is sowing great seeds of impact into their lives.
The Deputy Governor said the Back to School Programme of the First Lady would boost the pupils' interest in education and give them a sense of pride among their colleagues as the new school session is about to take off in the state.
She also commended Dr. Oyebanji for coming up with the WAOH initiative which she noted would alleviate the suffering encountered by widows and give them hope and joy in their time of need and give them a platform of economic empowerment.
The programme was attended by the Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bolaji Olagbaju, who led other lawmakers to the event; members of the state executive council, local government chairmen, top civil servants, labour leaders and other stakeholders in education.
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