A couple of weeks after donating a brand new house to the Oluwakemi Orphanage Home at Ibadan in Oyo State, the Arole Oodua & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II has commissioned a vocational trainning centre which he donated to a rehabilitation home for destitute people called So-Said Charity Home in Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government, Abia State.

The donation is part of Ooni’s Hopes Alive Initiative(HAI).

The Obawure of Ife-Titun, HRM, Oba Taofeek Osunmakinde, who represented Ooni Ogunwusi at the event said the project was
in furtherance of the Ooni’s commitment to putting smiles on the faces of the less privileged in the society cutting across tribes, religion, ethnicity and geographical lines.

Oba Osunmakinde stated that the donation of the centre was aimed at empowering the vulnerable persons to become self-reliant and productive to themselves and the society at large thereby reducing vulnerability through efficient rehabilitation techniques, well-equipped staff and charity.

“This will go a long in empowering the vulnerable persons so that they can be self-reliant and productive to themselves and the society thereby reducing vulnerability through efficient rehabilitation techniques..” Obawure said

Mrs Felicia Martins, the CEO of So-Said Charity Homes with seven branches across the country said the Home was established for the vulnerable persons on the street and has been operating for over 22 years to rescue those who had fallen on the way path.

According to her the initial plan was to focus on mentally derailed people but later realised that not all persons roaming the streets are mentally ill but there are women with marital issues who are sent packing from their matrimonial homes, children who lost their way home, special children with syndromes, prostitutes, beggars and people with challenges in different areas.

She said over the years the Home has focused on mentally ill persons and children with syndrome as well as those retired to the roads due to their challenges, adding that those are the group of people the Home rescues.

Over the years, she said the Home has expanded through the help of philanthropists, and decided to train them before they go back to the society.

“One of the challenges we face is finance because we have given out ourselves to live for others and this requires money. What His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife has done today is a laudable achievement because when my manager was struggling to build the centre, I was asking where are we going to get money to roof it talk less of equipping it. The place has been abandoned ever since then but the Ooni came through his HAI team and roofed the place, plastered it, put the window, security door with burglary proof, ceiling fans and tiles everywhere, he turned it to a standard vocational centre with all the training equipments for different vocations”, she said.

Mrs Martins stated further that working with the mentally derailed persons has not been easy and will never be easy as it takes the grace of God because she has severally been attacked by some of them who at times become violent

She said the Ooni’s gesture shows a true humanitarian who has left himself for God to use devoid of tribalism, ethnic or religion whose love knows no bound and has made giving part of his life.

“My word for other well meaning Nigerians is to show love, let them know that Nigeria as a country is in need and giving is part of life, people are suffering out there and if everyone can emulate this kind of a King who has given himself to service of humanity then the world will be a better place. It is a good thing to be blessed but people should realize that the purpose of being blessed is to give back to the society”. She said

Owned by Ooni of Ife, HAI is designed to alleviate socio-economic challenges faced by the indigent people.The NGO administratively led by Miss Temitope Adesegun has less than one year done several projects including donation of pharmaceutical certified Drugs, Power Generating Sets, school bags and books to victims of Boko Harram attacks at the IDP Center, Abuja in December 2017

The revered monarch on May 28th this year also hosted over 5,000 pupils from 80 schools and Orphanage centres in Ile-Ife and environ to a party organized by HAI marking 2018 Annual Children’s Day where cash gifts and other prizes were were won by outstanding students, parents and teachers.