Rural women in Apomu, headquarters of Isokan Local Government Area of Osun State, gathered at the Palace of Alapomu on October 15 to mark this year’s International Day of Rural Women.
The event was organised by Olori Janet Afolabi Foundation. Addressing the women, Olori Afolabi, 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. My mission is to provide access to credit to enable them start or grow their business.”
She said the essence of the day was to also empower the women “because they work very hard yet they live a hard life.”
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 urged the new beneficiaries to use the loan for the purpose for which it was given. She also used the opportunity to tell the women 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 is central to improving rural livelihoods. She enjoined the women to pay back the loans on time so that others can benefit.
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