An Abeokuta based foundation, Oko Opo Foundation, Tuesday, took off formally with food items and cash gift to over 100 widows from across 18 communities in Ogun State.

The cash amd food gifts were to alleviate the plights of the widows, cushion the effects of widowhood and the current economic situation of the country.

The widows which had a free ride to and fro the venue of the launch at the Pelican Valley Estate Laderin, Abeokuta also benefited from health awareness and sensitization talk from experts on age related health condition as well as the appropriate response tips they needed to adopt in order to cope effectively.

An octogenarian widow, and the mother of the chief promoter of Oko Opo Foundation, Dr Babatunde Adeyemo, Iya Adinni of Ginti Community Central Mosque Ikorodu, Alhaja Sidikat Adeyemo, also shared her useful experience to encourage her colleagues.

She advised her colleagues to be closer to God and fight off lack, boredom and despair by engaging in productive ventures and being people - oriented.

Similarly, a veteran broadcast journalist, Chief Eddy Aina urged the widows to pay more attention to their age, diet and health to prolong their lifespan.

He advised that with some of them having reached the age of 40 years and above, they should henceforth eat more of vegetables, fruits, unripe plantain, fish or crayfish and less of beef, salt, rice, gari, amala, yam and other sugary products because of their high sugar contents.

According to him, with old age setting in and the body system also losing its vigour and vitality in respect to food metabolism, high sugary food could spike blood glucose level, compound an existing diabetic condition or trigger one in someone.

Aina who noted that there is an estimated 15million widows in Nigeria, lamented the inhuman conditions some of them were being subjected to in parts of the country, especially in the South - East geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

He appealed to the governments and wealthy Nigerians to emulate Oko Opo Foundation and the Chief Promoter by joining hands with him to alleviate the suffering of Nigerian widows.

The event was preceded by a 45 - minute long Live Executive Media chat with executive members of the foundation - Dr. Babatunde Adeyemo, Mr Adeyemo Ibrahim; Secretary of the foundation and Mrs Titilayo Babs Adeyemo, Director and Mr Olukayode Olasehinde, the Brand Ambassador of Oko Opo Foundation.

The media chat was anchored by three of Chief Eddy Aina, Public Relations expert; Mr Tope Adaramola and Ernest Nwokolo of The Nation newspaper.

Speaking on the event, Dr. Adeyemo who remains highly impressed with the huge success the Oko Opo Foundation formal launch recorded, especially the sight of the overjoyed widows, said the passion to make things happen positively in this country and change the narratives informed the reason for the establishment.

The philanthropist who also doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, a foremost Nigerian real estate firm behind Pelican Valley Estate Laderin, Pelican's Brief Estate, Pelican Ecostay Apartments and Pelican's Greenish Acre Farm Estate - all located at the Kobape - Masa corridor of Ogun State, revealed that the Foundation is a "covenant" between him and God.

He also revealed that he has expended almost N150million planning the project since the idea was conceived about 10 years ago, in addition to donating two acres of land towards providing housing in the future to the most vulnerable widows among them.

He said, "The motivation is simply the passion to make things happen in this country and to also change the narratives. I came from a very humble beginning, a very humble background where we suffered a lot. My father was a philanthropist, he was a senior civil servant, he spent almost 27 years in service but my Dad didn't build a house of his own. He was busy using all his money to empower people.

"From my home town he empowered them, sent them to school. Unfortunately, he was retired suddenly and we moved from there into uncompleted building. We stayed in an unknown persons uncompleted building without electricity, doors and windows for about a decade.

"So, I was privileged to see a bush, a thick forest turning into a town. So, any thick forest that I see now, I don't actually see the forest in there, I see the town in there. So, that actually motivated me towards establishing Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited. And something I learnt from my father as well is that there is no amount of money you have that can secure your future or secure the future of your children.

"We still have people that have billions but could not do what we are doing. It is in the blood. It is hereditary. For example, most of my staff, apart from given them their salary, I give them daily stipends because I can't afford to work with somebody that is hungry. So, the same integrity we have brought into real estate.

"So, I want to bring those integrity and goodwill to help the widows and I'm doing this to live by example. I have committed over N150million of hard earned funds into this project.

"This building that is called The Podium where the programme is being formally unveiled was purposely built for the foundation. We spent almost N150million to put this place together. It was long term project, I conceptualised this project in the last 10 years and I have been systematically working to achieve it."