By Lukman Olabiyi
Hundreds of indigent persons in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State recently had a reason to smile and jubilate, courtesy of Shakirat Enifeni Foundation (SEF).
The foundation put smiles on their faces with the donation of food items and other relief materials for them to celebrate the New Year.
Among the beneficiaries were widows, orphans, and the elderly.
The founder of the foundation, Olarewaju Shitta-Bey, a United States-based Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at the University of Maryland Global Campus, disclosed that the foundation was to immortalise his late mother, Shakirat Enifeni, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ikorodu, who passed on in October 15, 2022.
According to him, his late mother had a philosophy of striving to put smiles on the faces of people around her, adding that the philanthropic gesture was a way to honour her.
The beneficiaries of the foundation’s kind gesture were not only blessed with food items to celebrate the New Year but they were also inspired not to give up on themselves, no matter their conditions.
The event was used to counsel them to always remain positive in their thoughts and actions. And they all left the venue of the event along the Lagos-Sagamu Road beaming with smiles.
SEF founder, Shitta-Bey who could not hide his feelings while counselling the beneficiaries became emotional, as he used his late mother’s lifestyle to inspire them.
He said what was paramount to his late mother while she was alive was to bring joy to the lives of as many people as possible, no matter their class, religion, sect or condition. Shitta-Bey eulogised his late mother’s virtues while he narrated the role the deceased played in his life for him to become what he became.
He charged all parents to invest in the future of their children saying, what he had achieved and become was to the glory of God and his mother’s investment in him.
He said: “What we are doing today was planned to celebrate my mum while she was alive but unfortunately God took her on October 15, 2022. For her doggedness, resilience, contributions to humanity, society development and politics, I believe death should not stop us from celebrating her. That is why we quickly put this together because this is what she stood for.
“My mother was a giver, a philanthropist. She loved going the extra mile to make people happy without considering whether you were her blood or not. She was a mother of all because her kind gesture was not limited to her children alone but to all the people around her.
“I am pleading with all parents to invest in the future of their children and not limit their kind gestures to their children alone.
“Being a parent, I see every child as my own, so I contribute meaningfully to their life, support them, give them the best so that you can be proud of them in the future.”
He advised the youths to choose and look out for good role models who will bring out the best in them, and not those who will mislead them to a wrong path of life.
Shitta-Bey advised them to take their education seriously to realise their dream and purpose in life, even as he stressed that there was no other route to success except determination and hard work.
One of the beneficiaries, an elderly man, Dalemo Adebayo thanked the foundation for putting smiles on their faces.
He said he didn’t know the founder of the foundation nor his late mother but still deemed it fit to make him happy by providing his needs.
“This is festive season and I have nothing to eat at home. But with this package from this foundation, I will celebrate New Year at home with happiness. This really means a lot to me because I didn’t expect it. I pray to God to reward the organiser abundantly. I am also imploring wealthy Nigerians and government to follow the footsteps of this foundation,” he said.
Another beneficiary, Elizabeth Olabinjo who is also an elderly woman, thanked the foundation for its kind gesture.
She prayed for Prof. Shitta-Bey and his family while urging other wealthy Nigerians to always give to the needy.