Adeline Olufunmilayo Olaosebikan is a medical practitioner and the founder of Light and Life Christian Fellowship Centre International Ministries, an organisation that focuses on youth development and the empowerment of vulnerable women and widows in Ibadan, Oyo State. Over the years, she has, through her ministries, empowered women and youths by providing access to quality education, funding opportunities and essential tools for entrepreneurship which in turn has enabled them build sustainable futures and drive positive change in their communities. In this interview with NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE, the medical practitioner spoke on the need for governments and corporate bodies to partner organisations working on youths and vulnerable women development in Nigeria to tackle challenges facing the two groups. She also spoke on other issues of national interest. Excerpts:
May we know why your focus is on widows and the youth?
I consider both as vulnerable members of the society that needed help. Some of the widows we work with both young and old, Christians and Muslims are poor and if they are not empowered through skills, it would be difficult for them to take care of themselves and their children. So, Light and Life Christian Fellowship Centre International Ministries aimed to create a world where women and youths have equal opportunity to thrive through education, entrepreneur and economic empowerment, fostering self-sufficiency and lasting positive impact in their communities.
We do not only train and empower these widows, we also monitor their businesses and teach them how to grow their businesses because some of them may want to spend the gains they made from their entrepreneurships thereby making it difficult for their businesses to grow. The reason we focus on youths irrespective of their religion is because they represent a significant portion of the population and are crucial for future development and social well-being. We all know that the involvement of youths in community development nurtures a sense of civic responsibility, empowers young individuals and help build stronger and more inclusive societies. To support what we are doing, there is need for government at all levels and corporate bodies and well-meaning Nigerians to assist NGOs like us so we can mold the character of Nigerian youths and empower them through skill acquisition so they can live a meaningful life and contribute their own quota to the development of the country.
The rate of youth’s involvement in money rituals and other crimes is on the increase. What do you think is responsible? What is the way forward?
What l think is responsible is the desire to get quick money and firm without working for it. Investigation has revealed that most of these youths are now used by evil members of the society to perpetrate evils such as rituals, armed robbery, kidnapping, cyber-crimes and a host of others. Also, youths are now trained to be harvesters of human organs thereby killing human beings like animals which is wickedness against God and humanity. These youths should be made to know the implications of these crimes they are perpetuating. One of the implications is untimely death. Whatever they like let them acquire, they must be accountable for all their deeds to the Almighty God whether they believe there is heaven and hell or not.
God should help those in authority to live exemplary life so they will be straight forward in making judgment to really affect those who deserve it.
If these youths and those who employed them to carry out these evils are dealt with when caught, it would certainly serve as a as deterrent.
On the other hand, government at all levels, corporate bodies and well-meaning Nigerians should ensure children and youths who are out -of-school are taken back to school. While they are in post primary school, they can learn skills such as plating of hair, fashion designing and a host of others, so the moment they pass out from the secondary school, they can be self-employed if they do not want to further their education.
Also, both parents should engage in type of jobs that will allow them to train their children while they are young. They should not leave their children under the care of strangers because it could be dangerous.
There is also need for parents to teach their children contentment. This is basically because if a child is contented with what the parents have, he may not desire to be rich at all cost which would in turn get him involved in money rituals, and other forms of money-making crimes.
Parents should also monitor the kind of friends their kids keep. When they keep bad friends, they are likely to be negatively influenced.
The fact remains that the involvement of Nigerian youths in crime is increasing on daily basis, many of them are in the prison here in the country and outside Nigeria and if something is not done urgently to curb the menace, the future of Nigeria is at stake. All hands must be involved in the fight against youths’ involvement in crime.
Having been working with the vulnerable women like widows, what do you consider major challenges facing them? What is the solution?
There are young and old widows. Most of these widows face challenges including extreme poverty, discrimination, harmful traditional practices, lack of access to inheritance and resources often leading to severe economic insecurity and psychological distress. Also, poor widows are ostracised in the society and treated with disrespect from others. However, widows should engage in meaningful businesses that would enable them navigate the current economic crunch that is ravaging the globe. Such engagement would enable them to take adequate care of themselves and their children.
Widows should also focus on God as He will direct their children on the right path of life. On the other hand, government can partner organisations like ours to further empower the poor widows in the society. This would not only go a long way in uplifting the plights of the widows in the society but also would enable them to contribute to the nation’s development.
