Asake Empowerment Foundation, a subsidiary of Asake Incorporated in the United State of America, on Saturday, unfolded her premier activities in Nigeria.
The event was held at the auditorium of Queen Elizabeth School in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Asake Incorporated was founded in 2018 in the US and Asake Empowerment Foundation in Nigeria in 2020. The Non-Governmental Organizations have people with rich ideas working for them. Asake Incorporated has been helping vulnerable people and sponsoring indigent children. That’s the more reasons the idea of Asake Empowerment Foundation came on board herein Nigeria.
The Foundation would start sponsoring the indigent and less privileged children through their education as from the next academic session. The programme would cut across the 16 local government areas of Kwara State. The categories of children that would be eligible for the scholarship program are little children from basic, primary education and up to secondary education who are brilliant and are from humble parents.
Present at the event were the former minister of youth and sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor, Hon. (Mrs) Kaosarah Adeyi, Ambassador Yahaya Seriki of Kwara APC, CEO of Nas TV, Nasir AbdulQadir, Founder/CEO of homeless and street kids initiative, Ma Funmi Omisope, Mrs. Ayanshola O.R representing the permanent secretary ministry of education, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun among others.
While speaking at the event, the Founder of Asake Empowerment Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Haleemah Oyabambi said that that idea to have a charity foundation came after she felt there is a need for her to give back to the society, adding that she has been nursing the ideas until when she was able to speak out and tell someone about it.
“I keep thinking about children who do not have anyone to assist them. I have that void in me, I am always bothered. I am so much concerned. I usually wonder how would I be able to achieve this dream. I couldn’t tell anyone until when that void has completely been filled. I told my husband and he was so happy to receive the ideas. He has been very supportive and helpful.
“When we concluded on the name of the foundation and everything, it took us up to 4 years to unfold the charity organization. But within those years, we have been helping people along the way. It took us this far and I am going to acknowledge that it’s my fault, I wasn’t really mean at first.
“During those four years, we have continued to accumulate a steady stream of encouragers, supporters, advisers, workers, and volunteers who shared similar interests and ideas with us. We also encountered some naysayers who never see anything good come out of Nigeria or something to say on how far to get things like this in Nigeria.
“So, my void has two names Asake Incorporated and Asake Empowerment Foundation. It is no longer a thing, it no longer my thing, it is now our thing. At Asake Incorporated and Asake Empowerment Foundation, our crew and team can attest to that, we can see the future so bright and with you, we can achieve beyond our imaginations.”
For his part, the former minister of youth and sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, appreciated the founder for having the empathy to establish a foundation that would help poor people in society.
He said, “It is not about your brilliancy, it is how empathetic you are. The ability for you to feel the hunger that others are feeling even when you are full. The ability to feel sick when other people are sick even when you are healthy. These are the qualities of leadership and it is not everybody that has it. I congratulate the Asake Empowerment Foundation for organizing this great event.
Abdullahi stressed the need why every individual who has the capacity and resources must ensure he or she help a child in actualising his or her goals.
“We should always be afraid of these little children because they are rock forces of nature waiting to be unleashed. For me, I have already become whatever I wanted to become. What I get now is just an addition. We have great potential among these children, that’s why we need to be very careful about how we deal with them.
“Every single step these children take, they are making progress. I want the children present here today to understand that you can become whatever you want to be. Nothing can stop you. Your background has nothing to do with your success. I was once a bus conductor here in Ilorin and I thank God today, I am among the elites in Nigeria. I was a former minister of the federal republic of Nigeria.
“The only thing that you can do that would better your life is to focus on your studies. If I give you millions of naira, you will definitely squander it. The only thing that could guarantee your success is education. Don’t let people confuse you that there is nothing good about education. Anyone that gives you such advice is your enemy. I can tell you that my level of education has made me who I am,” he expressed.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on youths, Hon. (Mrs) Kaosarah Adeyi, advised the children to be involved in vocational training, adding that it would give them an edge among their peers and open multiple doors and opportunities for them.
Adeyi commended the founder for organizing the event, stressing that it would go a long way in helping the young children in the future.
She said, “Everything you are giving the children is not for the sake of today, it is in preparation for the future. It would go a long way for them as they move on in life. My advice for well-meaning Kwarans to emulate this kind gesture. We all have a role to play, everyone has a role to play in developing our society. These children are our future, we need to try our possible best to impart them. People need to support this kind of foundation and develop our youth.”