The conception and birth of Tabitha New Life Foundation was ordained and orchestrated by God; through His manifold grace and infinite mercies, He initiated it as a dream and it has metamorphosed into reality.
It is believed that, when God is in the vision, the provision cannot be denied; Whatever He says, must be established, His words are ye and Amen!
Just like yesterday, this humanitarian service came into being exactly a year ago.
Indeed, we are counting our blessings as many waters have passed under the bridge and many lives touched in ways no one can sufficiently describe, this is because it’s beyond our reasoning and imaginations.
Within the last twelve months’ businesses have been set up, babies have been cared for, food materials in different forms and quantities have been distributed to different categories of people coping with challenging economic situations and our destiny helpers have been blessed in no small measures. Even advise and invaluable encouragement cannot be over-emphasised.
At the inauguration of the foundation on 14th December 2019, amidst hope and joy that people’s needs would be met, a lot of our destiny helpers thronged the venue from far and near; where about 150 widows and widowers went home satisfied, with items of clothing, food and assurance of trust and confidence as they were fulfilled in relation to their long awaited dreams with the host.
The apparently happy beneficiaries could best be described as deserted ones that met their loved ones again.
Immediately after inauguration, the management of Tabitha New Life Foundation, under the leadership and visionary of Mrs Adunke Olatunji and partners swung into action as enunciated and promised in the mandate of the organisation, which is, “liberating the widows/widowers from pangs of poverty by supporting them in a chosen trade thereby resulting into earnings responsible to take care of their subsistence that transforms into a perennial financial solution”.
Our Empowerment Programme
The monthly empowerment programme was essentially designed to cater for day to day activities in terms of private and commercial activities. Tremendous success was recorded as listed below:
a. Three of our widows were trained in fashion designing and embroidery.
b. Quite a good number were trained in soap making, adire (tye and dye), bead making, bead slippers making, hair dressing amongst others.
c. Five women were fully trained and empowered to start catering and pastry businesses, they are doing well today.
d. Other benefits and programmes such as counselling, advisory and assistances were provided when necessary to dampen their psychological trauma and boost their egos.
They now have businesses of their own while some are even extending kindness to lift others by sowing back into their business. (this adds to our joy.) In total from inception to date, 136 women have benefited from our monthly Empowerment and skill acquisition programs.
Poverty Alleviation programme:
The period of the lockdown as necessitated by corona virus (covid – 19) was another time and opportunity to stretch our services and reach out to various people due to scarcity and challenges associated with food. With the assistance of our partners and sponsors, we were able to provide different kinds of food at strategic locations to as many people as possible that needed them. Cash was also doled out within the capacity we could raise from partners, sponsors and givers who may not want their names publicised. These were conscious efforts made to save lives from hunger pangs.
In the same vein, just recently our humanitarian services reached out through a sister foundation to rid the street of some widows and children begging for alms, in Ilorin, Kwara state. The PROJECT EMPOWER ME was deliberate as its essential to give these set of people a happy glorious living.
Our little effort is not enough; we need to do more in making life a better place to live. Nigeria is a project we cannot afford to jettison especially in this area.
*Assistance from Organisations*
Chief among the organisations we benefited from their largesse are:
1. Iyaduni Women Empowerment Foundation:
Five of our destiny helpers were assisted in different ways such as working capital, cash for business equipment, etc.
These collaborative efforts were the brainchild of the Visionary and CEO of the NGO, in person of Mrs Omotola @ Tola.touch. It was a great relief to the beneficiaries. Another set of women who qualified for the 3rd phase of the grant was credited last week.
2. BABES REDEFINED:
We had an opportunity to partake in the online contest organised under the innovative leadership of PMO, board of trustees and excos to help other NGO members support their businesses. We strove and God enabled us to come second. This position won us a token sum of Seventy Thousand (#70,000) to help our members. We added this to the fund raised to purchase sewing machines to empower those trained in fashion design (as defended during the competition)
Anniversary Celebration:
Yesterday was another epoch making moment, commemorating the first year of Tabitha New Life Foundation. Hopes are high! Opportunities abound!
Various items given to empower our people are;
3 sewing machines
2 grinding machines
2 popcorn machines
8 cooking gas and;
Twelve Thousand Naira (N12,000:00) worth of goods each as startup capital for 5 other women.
We use this opportunity to make a clarion call to our government, various associations, NGOs and other humanitarian services alike to increase this kind gesture in order to reduce poverty in our communities.
While we reiterate our stance on considerable reduction or alleviation of poverty in the world, we also call on everyone to join us in various capacities to make this a reality. God has given us resources unevenly distributed, but we can do better by spreading more to the less privileged. In doing that, we can make the World a better place to live than we met it.
Special appreciation to all our partners, sponsors, admirers who never got tired of our “Oliver twist” attitude every time we called or asked, they were always there to lift our hands up. Your resources will neither dry up nor fold up. We say thank you.
Your co-labourer
Adunke Olatunji, President, Tabitha New Life Foundation