No fewer than 30 orphanage homes in Oyo State benefitted from donations by the wife of the Oyo State governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi. They were presented with various gift items.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mrs. Ajimobi, who has made the gesture an annual event since the past six years, said her office, in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Women Affairs, has always celebrated the special day with the citizens of Oyo State, especially the less-privileged. The essence, she said, is to show them love and give them a sense of belonging which, according to her, will further build their self-esteem.
Items distributed to the beneficiaries included rice, semovita, biscuits and garri. Others were juice, sugar, spaghetti, soap, toiletries and cash, among others.
Some of the orphanage homes which benefitted from the gesture were Winnie Castle Orphanage, Orita Challenge, Covenant Children’s Home, Akobo Access to Basic Medical Care, Ring Road, His Heritage Home, Oluyole Extension, Living Word Mission (LIWOM), Ososami and Oluwakemi Orphanage Home, Omi Adio.
Others were New Dawn Home, Ejioku; Royal Dominion Home, Egbeda, Aduke Olaidibo Orphanage Home, Elebu, Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children, Moniya, Centre for the Blind (NTCB), Ogbomosho and Bethlehem Orphanage Home, Ipapo, Saki.
According to Mrs. Ajimobi, the children, despite their vulnerability, remain hopes of the country, adding that the celebration of the country’s independence must also be extended to the less- privileged and vulnerable people so as to give them sense of belonging as future leaders.
She said: “The children are the leaders of tomorrow. They are our hopes and what we look forward up to. Particularly, we are celebrating them because they are very special and dear to me. The fact that they are vulnerable children does not really make them less-privileged than the others. And that is why any opportunity that I have to put smile on their faces, it gladdens my heart.
“Every October 1, as we celebrate the nation, as we celebrate freedom, as we celebrate moving from underdeveloped country to a developing country, as we celebrate the peace that reigns in the country and our good leadership, I also want to celebrate these children because they are the leaders of tomorrow.
“My advice to the children, which is the same advice I will give to my biological children, is that they should have the fear of God. They should continue to work hard and not limit themselves. The only road to success is hard work and there is no limit to what they want to do. They cannot get to the top without hard work. I want them to work hard and we as a state and as mothers, we will support them to achieve their dreams, God helping us.”
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Coordinator, Children of Promise Ministries (CHIPROM), Ibadan, Mrs. Funmilayo Eden, thanked Mrs. Ajimobi for her thoughtfulness and bringing all the homes together to commemorate Nigeria’s independence.
While acknowledging that despite the economic challenges Mrs Ajimobi still remembers the less-privileged and vulnerable. She called on other individuals to always remember the needy.
“Orphanages cannot do all they do in isolation. We need the help of individuals, organisations and institutions. They should contribute in one way or the other to our welfare. No matter how small it is, it will be appreciated in any home you go to.
“I am calling on all Nigerians to help the less-privileged children as the orphanages cannot do it all alone,” Eden said.
