L-R: Ekiti State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi; Erelu Bisi Fayemi; a member of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Olowo Ajiboye; and Caretaker Committee Chairman, Oye Local Government, Mr. Akindele Ogundipe, during the inauguration of soup kitchen in Itapa-Ekiti, which was financed by Ajiboye.
Hunger and extreme poverty will soon become history in Ekiti State if political office holders and wealthy citizens of the state join hands to spare a thought for the indigent.
Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, stated this in an address at the inauguration of the soup kitchen at Itapa-Ekiti, with a clarion call to the privileged to support the programme to enlarge its scope.
The soup kitchen is an initiative of the Centre for Family and Reproductive Health Initiatives, founded by Dr. Richie Adewusi; and Ekiti Development Foundation, a brainchild of the governor’s wife.
Erelu Bisi Fayemi was full of praises for a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, representing Oye Constituency II, Hon. Olowo Ajiboye, for sponsoring the Itapa soup kitchen.
She equally commended the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs Fola Richie-Adewusi; for taking similar step at Osin-Ekiti.
Erelu Bisi Fayemi noted that the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Emure Local Government, Hon. Kehinde Boluade, and the Executive Director of EDF, Mrs. Bisi Olonisakin- Olowoyeye, had also taken up the gauntlet by financing the soup kitchen in Emure-Ekiti and Igbemo-Ekiti respectively.
She vowed not to relent in her efforts aimed at ensuring that the soup kitchen was established in the 177 wards of the state.
The First Lady disclosed that plans were afoot to inaugurate the soup kitchen in Isan-Ekiti, in collaboration with her brother in-law, Mr. Segun Fayemi.
The governor’s wife reiterated that the soup kitchen was conceived to provide nutritional support for the elderly and widows who don’t have people to look after them, as well as orphans and vulnerable children.
She said, “Ekiti Food Bank was conceptualized in three phases. The first one is the food bank itself, which is aimed at giving raw food to the target group.
“The second phase is the establishment of soup kitchen across the state to support those who are unable to collect raw food and cook for themselves.
“The third phase is the establishment of small farms to enable young people to grow food crops that can then be ploughed back to the food bank for its sustainability.”
The governor’s wife was optimistic that the programmes would outlive the administration of her husband judging by the machinery that was on ground.
She said that sustainability was a major concern of the promoters of the food bank, given the huge investment it requires.
The governor’s wife called on the citizens of the state to embrace the private initiative and ensure its continuity irrespective of the government in power.
She commended the volunteer cooks for working relentlessly to ensure that the foods were cooked under hygienic conditions and got to the target beneficiaries.
In his comments, Dr Adewusi stressed the need for Ekiti people to re-enact the hospitality Ekitis were known for by showing empathy to the people around them.
The financier of the Itapa soup kitchen, Hon. Olowo Ajiboye, said his mission was to support any programme that would alleviate poverty in his constituency, whether private or public-driven.
The lawmaker said he identified soup kitchen as a veritable way of helping the needy, especially widows and other vulnerable citizens.
Last modified: August 12, 2013
