300 benefit N73m empowerment scheme, scholarship
By Joke Adeniyi-Jackson
Towards eradicating poverty and improving economic well-being of the people, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Oluwole Foundation has empowered no fewer than 300 people with N40m.
The beneficiaries cut across artisans, the unemployed, widows and less privileged.
In addition, the foundation has expended the sum of N33million on scholarship for beneficiaries drawn from primary to tertiary level of education.
The Chairman of the Foundation, Pastor Ademola Popoola, disclosed these, during the 6th edition of the empowerment programme of the foundation, held at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement District Headquarters, Ilorin, Kwara State on Sunday.
He said the gesture was to create real wealth by empowering unemployed persons to be self reliant and contribute their quota to the development of their society.
“We believe that poverty and crime can be eradicated from our society by empowering unemployed people and those who are skilled and do not have the financial wherewithal to start up their own business,” he explained.
He said the mission of the foundation is to add value and improve the lives of the less privileged through the empowerment scheme to enable them to be self- reliant and to safeguard their means of livelihood .
On the scholarship, Popoola said the purpose is to help the young ones achieve their goals and potentials in life through education.
He stated that for now only members of the church are beneficiaries of scheme, adding that plans are underway to capture non-members in the empowerment programme.
According to him, for this year’s programme, 45 people benefitted from N7.5m in form of empowerment items.
Speaking to National Pilot, a beneficiary, Senior Apostle Joseph Omotosho, commended the foundation for the gesture, which he said would boost his economic well-being.
Omotosho, who was given a computer set, urged well to do people in the society to embrace philanthropy in order to raise standard of living of the less privileged.
Similarly, a widow, Prophetess Mary Abiona applauded Oluwole Foundation for the service to humanity, urging beneficiaries to make judicious use of the empowerment items.
Items distributed included, deep freezers, grinding machines, computer sets, popcorn machines, camera, photocopier machine, industrial weaving machine, generators, sewing machines among others.