By Stephen Adeleye.
An NGO, Doyin and Susan Foundation, on Wednesday, distributed food items and clothing materials worth millions of naira to vulnerable women in some rural communities in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Speaking to journalists at the distribution centre in Primary School Oke-Oba in Isanlu, the NGO’s Founder, Mrs Doyin Ibikunle Eshanumi, said the gesture was part of the foundation’s humanitarian activities to reach out to 200 vulnerable widows at Christmas.
“We actually prepared for just 200 widows but we were overwhelmed by the huge turnouts of both women and men including the Fulani community.
“So, we have to make additional provisions to reach out to more people and put smiles on their faces at Christmas.
“We thank God we were able to eventually reachout to over 500 less privileged people including widows, women and men,” she said.
She disclosed that the foundation had also in April 2020 donated cash worth N1 million to the less privileged widows in Itedo-Oba, Itedo-Irunda and Irunda-Ile communities in Isanlu, to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, where each beneficiary got N2000.
According to her, cash donation was meant to cushion the effect of coronavirus on the vulnerable women in the area during the lockdown in 2020.
“This humanitarian gesture is part of our vision to reaching out to the less privilege and the vulnerable in order to alleviate their suffering in the time of need.
“This is not the first time we are carrying out such humanitarian activities in the state as a way of improving the beneficiaries’ wellbeing,” she said.
While commending governments for their efforts in alleviating the suffering of the masses, she called for improved social welfare especially for the less privileged at the grassroots.
Eshanumi enjoined to other NGOs, philanthropists and well spirited individuals and corporate organisations to emulate the gesture and lend help to the indigent and less privileged in the society.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke to our Correspondent, thanked the foundation for the humanitarian gesture towards alleviating their sufferings especially in the rural areas.
Mrs Serah Olabisi and Mrs Bosede Ayeni, in their separate comments, prayed that God would continually protect the founder of the foundation, her family as well as the foundation to enable it to continue to grow and reaching out to more people.
Items distributed were: rice, salt, groundnut oil, spaghetti, noodles, food ingredients, clothings, among others.
