Oko Opo Foundation Puts Smiles on Faces of Hundreds of Widows On Boxing Day With Cash, Food Items, Rekindled Hope

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

The Boxing Day 2025, will go down in history as another day of rekindled hope for hundreds of widows and a pocket of widowers who gathered at the Podium, a reception-like event Centre within the Pelican Valley Estate, Laderin as Oko Opo Foundation once again gave them financial support, food items, scholarship, as well as medical support.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as earlier reported that earlier same Boxing Day, these women had received free medical screening and counseling for non – communicable ailments such hypertension (BP) and blood sugar level with necessary drugs provided for them courtesy of the Foundation’s medical outreach.

The Founder, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, a distinguished broadcast journalist who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, a major player in the Nigeria real estate business, confirmed that the outreach was indeed his self-actualization phase as he also beamed with smiles of inner fulfilment and satisfaction during the event.

Amid the atmosphere of happiness, joy and gratitude created by widows and widowers who trooped out to the event, Ambassador Adeyemo sang a philanthropy centred Yoruba song that summarises what drives his commitment to empowering the widows, singing, "Eni keni ti iwo ba ni pa lati se Iran lowo fun n Oun na le ni keji re toju e e…", a song which simply means ‘"If there is anybody that you have capacity and opportunity to help, render that help to the person now for that is your neighbour."

Ambassador Adeyemo further described the gathering as a significant milestone in the journey to empower the widows, orphans and the less privileged in society.

According to him, the event was not actually celebrate only the achievements of Oko Foundation but also the resilience and determination of its beneficiaries, pledging to remain unrelenting in making a positive impact in the lives of people.

In his words, “We celebrate the widows who have found hope again, the orphans who have discovered a sense of belonging, and the less privileged who have been given succour."

While explaining that his act of philanthropy is one borne out of passion for lifting the widows and the less privileged, he stressed that the gesture is devoid of any political undertone.

A major highpoint of the outreach was the moment he pledged to build houses for the widows, fund free legal service for any widow facing persecution, injustice or being denied of her rights in her matrimonial home due to loss of husband, which made the beneficiaries erupt into loud ovations and applause.

Adeyemo said, “Over the past year, Oko Opo Foundation, a non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation established to rekindle hope of widows, has worked tirelessly to provide support and resources to those who need it most.

“As I reflect on our journey so far, I am reminded of the passion and commitment that drove me to establish this Foundation.

“As a journalist and entrepreneur, I have seen first- hand the impact of poverty and inequality on our society.

“I have witnessed the struggles of widows and orphans, and I have felt the weight of responsibility to make a difference.

“Oko Opo Foundation was born out of this sense of responsibility. Our mission is to rekindle hope in the lives of widows, orphans and the less privileged.

“We aim to provide them with the support and resources they need to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals.

“Let me assure you that Oko Opo Foundation will not relent in its noble efforts to rekindle hope and advocate for improved welfare of the widows, orphans and the less privileged in our society.

I, personally, will continue to work tirelessly, using every resource at my disposal, to empower the needy. We also want to seize this medium to appreciate the contributions of donors, partners and volunteers who have made our work possible.

“As we look to the future, I am excited about the prospects ahead. We will continue to innovate and expand our programmes, seeking new and better ways to serve our beneficiaries.”

Meanwhile, inspiring testimonials from beneficiaries have continued to trail the Boxing day outreach by Oko Opo Foundation.

One beneficiary, who is widow of late Ekiti State indigene, Comrade Wale Adewunmi, who practised journalism all his life in Ogun State before his demise mid last year, Mrs Titilope Adewunmi, has described the help as timely, recoubting how it all began just as she was about heading to a burial ground in Abeokuta with tearful eyes for the interment of her late husband when the call that changed her life and that of her first daughter came from the Oko Opo Foundation, informing her that she had been placed on a stipend for six months with free medical service in any hospital in the town at the expense of the Foundation.

She further recounted how she was also informed that one of her children would be supported to further his/her education up to the university level.

Tears of joy rolled down her face as she narrated how Adeyemo kept his pledges made to her and the children, wondering what would have been their fate if he had not stepped forward to fill in the gap.

She further revealed that her daughter was offered an admission to read Peace and Conflict Study at the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) this year, saying Adeyemi picked up the bills.

“When my husband died on July 1st, 2024 and they buried him on July 8 and that morning of the burial day, we were preparing to go to the burial ground when a call came through Oko Opo Widows Foundation that they have placed me on a stipend for six months and a medical support for a year and a pledge that one of my children will be trained up to the university level.

“And the Founder kept to his promise. He paid me stipend for six months. He and his people came to my house physically, they brought food stuff and my first born, a dauggter, got admission to Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State this year. He paid all the bills, including hostel bills, everything.

“So, I appreciate God and him. If not for Oko Opo Widows Foundation and the founder, I really don’t know where we would be by now,” Mrs Adewunmi said

Oko Opo Widows Foundation, a not – for – profit organisation has earned global reputation for catering for the widows, orphans and the less privileged members of society, putting smiles on the faces widows since 2022, thus filling the void created by the departure of their husbands and wives as in the case of the widowers.