Ooni Donates Home to Less Privileged, Pledges Quality Education

Funmi Ogundare

Tears flowed freely, as the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, recently donated a new well equipped building with education and health facilities to Oluwakemi Orphanage Home, Omit-Adios, Ibadan, under his ‘Hopes Alive’ initiative.

Before the intervention, the home which housed about 30 children was reported to be unkempt and unfit for living.

The Deputy Chief Convener of Hopes Alive Initiatives of the Ooni of Ife, Miss Temitope Adesegun said the intervention was to give Oluwakemi Orphanage Home a new beginning after she and her team visited the former home and discovered that the place was unhealthy for the children to live in.

According to her, “I was really depressed seeing the children, about 30 of them living in such unhealthy environment that attracts sicknesses and all forms of diseases, so I decided to report the case to the Ooni for urgent action.

“I told the Ooni that their case was beyond revamping or renovating the former house that it is better we give them a new start and he authorized me to do what I feel would be befitting for the children, make them happy and give them a new life. Hence this new house, fully furnished with educational materials and playing ground for the children to learn and play.”

She promised that members of the Hopes Alive initiative will continue to check up on them, supply them with food, books and other education facilities, as well as come with the medical team to check their well being.

Adesegun said the dream and vision of Oba Ogunwusi is to live for humanity by putting smiles on their faces, adding that her desire is to ensure that children have access to quality education irrespective of their ethnic, religious or family background.

She called for support from well meaning Nigerians and organizations saying that there are many more children living under such conditions that needed help.

The deputy chief convener said such move will make the country a better place since the children are the leaders of tomorrow.
In an emotional tone, ‘the Coordinator of the Home, Mrs. Victoria Adeleke described the intervention as a miracle saying since she started operating the home, she has never received such a surprise and that there had been days when she and the children starved and only looked unto God for divine provision.

“I see this as the prophecy of God coming into fulfillment through the Ooni of Ife, God spoke to me after calling me into this orphanage ministry that He would visit us with a big surprise some day, I never expected this type of miracle, it’s beyond my imagination and I pray for the Ooni that God will grant all his heart desires and give him long life,” she said.

In his remarks, the Ooni who was represented by the Agbolu of Agbaje, Ile-Ife, HRH Obi Adebowale Adekunle described the Ooni as a generous king saying that that there are many of such homes under his care as well as many less privileged in the society that are benefitting from his act of generosity.