A non-governmental organisation, Princess Modupe Ogunbayo Foundation, has called on the government and other well-meaning Nigerians to assist the underprivileged persons in the country.
Founder of the non-governmental organisation, Princess Modupe Ogunbayo, made the appeal at the weekend during a press briefing to mark the 5th year anniversary of the organisation which will hold on April 27, 2019.
The foundation, according to the retired nurse, has been in existence since 1982 but was officially launched in 2014, with the mission to support and empower widows, orphans and the less-privileged to live a better life in the society.
“We help them establish small business through soft loans (no interest) to sustain themselves meaningfully, restoring their dignity and giving them sense of belonging,” she said.
Her words: “I plead with our government at all levels to genuinely integrate the less privileged among us, widows, orphans and other categories of our deprived citizens in their development agenda and give them care.
“I know that no society or nation has it all, but the ability for also the rich to assist others, especially the underprivileged, speaks volume for the society. I am of the opinion that one of the ways the Nigerian society will move forward is for the rich to help the poor”.
The retired nurse, who said that she has witnessed with sadness the miserable challenges of the widow, disclosed further that over the years her NGO, has been giving educational scholarship to children of the widow, orphans and the less-privileged, providing them foods and other relief materials including free medical and legal services.
Also she noted: “In developed countries of the world the government maps out social policies aimed at providing and caring for the less-privileged people in the society which is automatically your right as a citizen of that country. I want to let you know that the social injustice in our system has drastically affected these groups of people beyond what you can imagine.
“We can all join hands to make this world a better place if we desire to do so. So I call on all privileged members of the society that by assisting and donating for the widows, the orphans and the less privileged welfare, by empowering them financially to set up their small businesses and sustain them, and through award of academic scholarship to such children improve their quality as well as add meaning to their lives”.