International Day of Rural Women: Olori Janet Afolabi  Organises Summit, Gives Women Financial Aid

Rural women in Apomu, headquarters of Isokan Local Government Area of Osun state, gathered at the Palace of Alapomu, on Sunday, October 15, to mark this year’s International Day of Rural Women.

Organised by Olori Janet Afolabi Foundation, the beautifully clad women trooped the event, espousing the virtues of women in nation building, restating their roles as catalysts for development and sustenance of societal values.

Addressing the august gathering, the convener, Olori Janet Afolabi, who is the Queen of Apomu Kingdom and Founder of the Foundation, declared: “Today belongs to you(women). 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.”

The Olori emphasised that the essence of the occasion was to also empower the women because though they work very hard, toil day and night to contribute to society’s wellness and progress, they had little to show for their sacrifice. They live a hard life.

“My mission, therefore, is to provide access to credit to enable our women start or grow their businesses,” Olori Afolabi declared. “In a symbolic gesture of support, new set of women emerged from the No Interest Loan For Rural Women programme, which the Foundation started in October 2020, and they are being awarded accordingly.”

Olori Janet Afolabi  urged the new beneficiaries to use the loans for the purpose for which they were given. She also used the opportunity to charge the women to discourage child marriage and encourage their girls to get sound education.

In his keynote address, 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 livelihood. She enjoined the women to pay back the loans on time so that others can benefit.