Last year December, Sijibomi Ogundele, an activist was reported to have had contact with a young pregnant woman who was hawking under a scorching sun. He felt compassion for her, bought off all her goods, and gave her some cash gifts and a hamper.
Driven by the passion to empower, Sijibomi has been on the lookout for her after then. According to him, he wants to make a lasting impact in the life of the young woman and that of her unborn baby.
In August 2021, God heard his prayers and he met with the woman in question again. At this time, she had lost the baby due to a lack of proper medical care and attention. Sad and broken, Sijibomi was marveled at the woman’s spirit of gratitude and unrelenting strength in her perplexed situation which couldn’t make him withhold himself from his good deeds.
Sijibomi has empowered her with a befitting accommodation and gotten her a shop stock with goods of her choice so she won’t have to hawk again. Sijibomi added that he is not doing this for the media neither is it to draw attention to himself but because, giving back, to him, is a lifestyle and generosity is one of the traits he inherited from his mother that has failed to leave him. He further said, he believes so much in the statement that says, “givers never lack.”
In his words, “The idea is to see how we can empower other women like her, get them off the street, provide mentorship and give them something to start afresh. I am putting this out here so we can be more sensitive to the needs of women around us, especially in this difficult time in our nation where the prices of things keep skyrocketing. I believe that when your neighbour is hungry, your chicken is not safe. Things are tough and I encourage everyone to do all they can in their own little way, to give a helping hand and put a smile on the face of someone.”
