The Ayo Ogundele Support Foundation (AGSF, a nonprofit organisation, instituted to put smiles on the faces of the less-privileged, has embarked on a voyage that will bring succour to widows, old people and support education of poor children, reports KAYODE OLAREWAJU

Deprivations

In a society, where the masses are living below the poverty line; where the living standard of the people is a far cry to what is should be; livelihood and health care have become mere emptiness with its attendant hunger, deprivations, and other socio-economic challenges, a foundation is set to give a helping hand to the downtrodden, and put smiles on the faces of the hopeless and hapless masses.

This is the mission thrust and set goals of the Ayo Ogundele Support Foundation (AOSF), a non-governmental and non-profit charity organisation, which was recently officially unveiled in Lagos.

Mandate

The Foundation’s commitment and core thrust are primarily to assuage the plight and suffering of the hopeless and hapless masses in the society, through empowerment programmes, education support, donation of cash and food items geared to cushion the current socio-economic challenges and hardship confronting the people.

The AOSF with Headquarters at Iloro-Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State, and other operational offices in Lagos and the United States of America, is set to restore hope in the needy and people in Iloro-Ekiti, its immediate community and the Nigerian society at large.

The motto of the non-governmental charity organisation, which was unveiled simultaneously, during the inauguration ceremonies held at the Phidel College Multipurpose Hall, Isheri-Idimu, Lagos and Ile Awo Compound in Iloro-Ekiti on June 2, 2024, is: “Care, Hope and Love.”

Also, its mission, according to the Founder, is indeed: “To serve as a beacon of hope, dedicated to giving love, care and hope to the poor, vulnerable and less-privileged in the society; while the core values are anchored on integrity, excellence, love, compassion, empathy, hope and accountability.”

The Founder, Mr Ayo Ogundele, an indigene of Iloro-Ekiti, who is based in the United States, said of the core value while unveiling the Foundation in Lagos: “At the Ayo Ogundele Support Foundation, we are guided by a set of core values that drive our actions and shape our impact.”

These values, he stressed, underpin every initiative the Foundation is set to undertake as they work tirelessly to make a positive difference in the lives of those in need.

“As part of its commitment, the AOSF is a registered charity organisation with a heartfelt commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of the less-privileged and the poor in our society

“This is as we believe in the power of compassion and collective action to create meaningful change,” the Founder said, even as he added that the vision is focused on “improving lives through humanitarian support, inspiring hope and providing succour to the needy.”

Human capital development

Stating the goals of the foundation, Ogundele said: “We are dedicated to promoting human development by serving the needs of the poor and vulnerable in the society by fighting hunger, diseases, social injustice and improving the quality of life of the people for a better society.

“The Foundation, which is dedicated to making a meaningful impact on the lives of the less-privileged and the downtrodden masses to actualise its objectives, is set out to carry out various programmes and engage in several interventions.

“These are designed mainly to address critical needs and challenges facing the needy so as to provide relief and alleviate the people’s socio economic downturn with its attendant hunger, poverty, poor health care, among others, resulting in the untimely death of many people.”

Hunger and poverty

These programmes and interventions include fighting hunger and poverty, through the setting up a nationwide network of food banks to be distributed at intervals to combat hunger ravaging Nigerians, as well as to engage in initiatives to fight hunger, diseases, alleviate poverty and address social justice.

Specifically, these areas of intervention will focus on skill training and education empowerment, under which the Foundation will offer and organise skill acquisition training and empowerment programmes for vulnerable individuals, with a view to helping them engage gainfully and productively.

Potable water/healthcare scheme

Meanwhile, under its Clean Water Project, the foundation is to provide access to clean and safe drinking water for the people of rural communities in Iloro-Ekiti and its environs, as well as other areas, where especially there is no potable water.

In the area of Maternal and Child Health Care project, one of the focuses of the Foundation, the Ayo Ogundele Support Foundation will lead efforts to reduce child and maternal mortality. Besides, the Foundation is also to promote the health and well-being of individuals and families of low socio-economic status in underserved and impoverished communities.

Under the Social Justice Initiative, the Foundation, which attention is majorly on End Violence and Exploitation, will focus and work towards ending violence and exploitation, child abuse, gender violence against women and girl child, among others, in the nation’s most isolated, defenceless and vulnerable communities.

Inspiration

Speaking on the motivation for establishing the Foundation, Ogundele disclosed that in his 65 years journey in life and what the Lord has done for him, he has realised that what is left for him at this time of his life’s journey, is how to help people by bringing smiles, joy and hope to the less-privileged, particularly his community and other areas, where poverty is staggering.

“These programmes are at the heart of our mission to bring love, care and hope to those in need and forgotten, and more importantly, we believe that by addressing these critical needs of our people, we can create a brighter future for all.

Partnership

While calling on the people to partner and join hands with the foundation in promoting peace and joy and to make a different in the society, he said God has plans to have created everyone where he or she is born, and that the community or a place one comes from should not be a limitation or to deprive anyone of the basic necessities of life or better livelihood, or worst still to achieve his or her potential in the face of neglect and lack of money.

“So, we should give back to our society. As God has blessed me and at my age, I will continue to help the needy and the less-privileged in the society,” Ogundele stated

Empowering community

During the unveiling ceremony of the Foundation at Iloro-Ekiti, AOSF distributed over N3.5 million worth of rice and over N6.5 million cash to the needy, widows and old people in the community.

During the exercise, more than 100 old people, who are 70 and above, received a half bag of rice with a cash donation of N20, 000 each; while 100 widows also got a half bag of rice and N10, 000 cash each, as well as other beneficiaries who received a grant of N250, 000 each as empowerment support to either boost their businesses, or start businesses.

According to the Founder, this cash and food distribution exercise would be carried out two or three times yearly to alleviate the people’s plight and economic predicament, so as to reduce poverty and unemployment among the people.

Ogundele, who stated that this move is also to reduce the rate of crime in the community, pledged that the next phase of the cash and food distribution exercise and other programmes would be unveiled later this year.

However, he added that the Foundation would continue to support the education of children of the poor and less-privileged in the community, as well as support the old people and widows, as it would also promote the welfare and take care the health need of the people since many of them cannot access health care provision due to poverty.

Commendations

Extolling the virtues of the Founder, a former Commissioner for Finance in Ekiti State, Mr Dapo Kolawole, commended Ogundele for the initiative, describing him as a lover of humanity and a philanthropist, who has further demonstrated his penchant to help people and development of his community.

“What Ayo has just done today, did not come as a surprise to many of us who knew him. He has always in his life been a humble and lover of people, and who loves to give, even when he does not have enough. That little he has he is ready to share or give to others.

“I want to congratulate him and wish him a long life and good health, as he used the unveiling of the foundation to mark his 65th birthday. I also pray to Almighty God that the Foundation will continue to wax stronger,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Pastor Adelusi, who lauded Ogundele for his foresight in establishing the Foundation in an effort to give back to the society and particularly to the people and community where he comes from, said he (Ogundele) never forgot his roots and people as many wealthy or well-to-do in the society are doing.

“I want to thank him for choosing to bring back the little money he has made to the community to help the poor and needy, and to lift the community.

I also congratulate him on his birthday and wish him well in this new project,” he added, and called on other well meaning people of the state and Nigeria at large to emulate Ogundele to give back to their community.

This is as he said that doing so will go a long way in reducing the level of poverty, suffering and unemployment among the people and develop the communities, especially the needy and less-privileged in the society.”

Therefore, Pastor Adelusi promised to take a cue from Ogundele gesture by going back to his community also in Ekiti State to replicate what he (Ogundele) is doing in his community, saying it is through this kind of effort and contribution they could collectively enhance the welfare and well-being of their people and thus reduce poverty in the society

Please follow and like us: