Ololade Adeyanju/
Rural women in Apomu, headquarters of Isokan local government area of Osun state, gathered at the Palace of Alapomu to mark this year’s International Day of Rural Women on Sunday, October 15.
Addressing women at the event organised by Olori Janet Afolabi Foundation, Olori Afolabi, the Queen of Apomu Kingdom and Founder of the Foundation said, “Today belongs to you. It is dedicated to appreciate you for your hard work and resilience as the backbone of food production, where you constitute women labour – paid and unpaid.”
She said the essence of the event was to also empower the women because they worked very hard “yet they live a hard life”. Her words: “My mission is to provide access to credit to enable them start or grow their business.”
In a symbolic gesture of support new set of women emerged from the “No Interest Loan” programme which the Foundation started in October 2020.
Olori Afolabi told the new beneficiaries to use the loan for the purpose for which it was given. She also told them to discourage child marriage and encourage their girls to complete their education.
In his keynote speech Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi, the Alapomu of Apomu, said, “Today serves as a reminder that millions of women in rural communities need assistance from basic necessities to financial aid. It is good to celebrate them because they toil every day to contribute to agricultural production and food security.”
Osun State First Lady, Erelu Ngozi Adeleke who was the Special Guest, commended Olori Janet Afolabi for the kind gesture. She said empowering rural women was central to improving rural livelihoods. She enjoined the women to pay back the loans on time so that others could benefit.
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