As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, a non-governmental organization, the World Humanitarian Organisation for Peace and Equity (WHOPE), has empowered market women on their petty trades with grants as a way of celebrating the day.
The group as a way of ensuring the traders judiciously use the grants gave them lectures on financial management and record keeping to track records of their sales.
In his welcome remark at the event that was well attended both virtually and physically by mostly female traders, widows, civil servants and other guests around Alimosho Community, Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, WHOPE, Dr. James Mercy Obatunmibi noted that it is imperative to embrace equity by ensuring that women are well taken care of and are paid equitably for the work they do and also enjoy all necessary benefits equitably, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion age and any other divisive characteristics.
He, therefore urged all women to be accountable for all activities in their environment in terms of achievement, challenges, and how to move the home forward.
The group presented the empowerment scheme and distribution of business support grants and food items to cushion the effect of the current economy as well as to help sustain home and their businesses.
Moreso, WHOPE partners with other healthcare service provider organizations to attend to the women’s health challenges at the event.
Dr. Obatunmibi said: “WHOPE also at this International women’s day celebrated and recognized those who have made significant sacrifice and effort towards the less privileged, the needy, climate change victims, refugees, destitute and those who are at different places of the world advocating for peace, equity and gender equality. It is not about how rich you are, it is how you can care for humanity in whatever capacity you have.”
About eleven people were given the Humanitarian Goodwill Ambassador Award, to encourage them to do more to help the humanity.
Some of the awardees are; Duchess Joyce El (USA), Dame Oluwatoyin Joseph (Nigeria), H.E Thornley Michael (Australia), Nasser Aishaikhamed (Saudi Arabia), Mrs Valerie Wood-Gaiger MBE (UK), Dr. Cary Goulston (USA), and Mrs Faosat Shitta (Nigeria).
Others are; Glenn Turner (USA), Dr. Rosemary Wanja (Canada), and Anthony Brennan (UK), Grace Olamide (UK)
Some of the awardees and online moderator Dr. Yewande Okunoren-Oyekenu, the UK Cordinator for the International Human Rights Commission, could not hide their joy commended WHOPE for counting them worthy of the award, with a promise to do more to help humanity.
The international chairperson of WHOPE, Ambassador Andrew William, who joined the event via Zoom from the United States encourage participants and awardees to help humanity to make the World a better place for everybody.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Olusola Adeleke, who received business support grant expressed appreciation to the organizers saying: “I’m very happy today. May God continue to bless WHOPE for remembering women at this time, I am grateful,” she said.
The event was held at the WHOPE Nigeria Office, along Alimosho Road , Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, other participants from different countries of the World joined via Zoom.
