Generosity and care save lives and make the community and the whole world a better place. It is my hope that year 2010 started well for you and that it will bring you good health, happiness and lots of successes.
AJOKE AYISAT AFOLABI FOUNDATION (AAAF) is a charitable, non profit and non governmental organization with the mission of serving the public interest especially for the common good of the poor, the less privileged, orphans and widows in our country Nigeria.
Nigeria is noted for her abundant fertile lands that could easily support a large-scale cultivation. The country depicts an enviable picture of a potentially self-sufficient nation that could provide a way forward in caring for its poor citizens. However, according to a recent study, more than 800 million people in the world go hungry each day. In Nigeria, a lot of people die from starvation each year. A lot of lives were lost in the recent riot in Jos and other places. Despite the great natural wealth Nigeria is endowed with, the citizens are still very poor and social development all over the country leaves much to be desired. If the present trends continue, the country is not likely to meet the aims and yearnings of the Million Development Goals (MDG).
More than two-thirds of the Nigerian people are poor despite living in a country with vast potential wealth. Legacy of mismanagement and corrupt governance has encouraged many people to seek ways of sharing the national cake instead of helping to make it. The legitimacy and stability of the nation suffers as people begin to devise ways to survive outside the law.
Meeting and caring for the needs of our poor ones should be the primary aim of the plan for prosperity. Every Nigerian should have the right to portable water, sanitation, nutrition, shelter, clothing, basic education, good health care, physical security and the means of making a living.
AAAF is asking successful Nigerians and Governments in the three tiers, i.e. Federal, State and Local, irrespective of where domiciled, to stand up for effective participation and contribute meaningfully to the sustainable development of caring for the less-privileged.
As stated in my message in the first edition of our Journal in 2009, AAAF is dedicated to helping the generation of poor ones to live a successful life. The challenges of the needy also involves you, the reader, by formulating good educational programmes, adequate funding, and establishment of apprenticeship, assisting the poor widows and building recreation centers for needy children and youths.
The plan for prosperity and caring should be addressed quickly before the country is labeled as one harboring criminals, terrorists and delinquents by the comity of nations.
Once again, I wish to use this medium to thank you all and also appreciate some of my colleagues who had remained dedicated to the vision of caring for the needy. Please, let us continue in the same spirit this 2010 and together we shall achieve the goals of putting smiles on the faces of the less-priviledged and they will refer to this generation philanthropist as excellent, builders of hope and true agents of caring for change.
Give real joy and caring to the needy today. God bless you as you do so. (Amen).
Barr. (Dr) Taiwo O. Afolabi
Group Managing Director/CEO, Sifax Group
AAAF (Founder/Chairman)
It gladdens to heartily welcome you to this wonderful New Year. It is now one year since God entrusted me with the responsibility of steering the ship of this great non-profitable organization (Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation).
Like the disciple of our Lord Jesus that were sent out to preach the gospel or like the missionaries offering themselves to spread good words of Christ, I and my siblings have offered ourselves as willing instruments in the hands of God to actualize our dream and vision to propagate a new world for the less-privileged, widows, etc. ‘with God we care’ as our motto says.
The idea of Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation was conceived with a vision to uplift a generation of poor children and persons in need that will stand out for accountability and excellence in all their endeavours. It is also our intention to raise and nurture future leaders that will be incorruptible and disciplined and also youths that will see hard work as the secret of success.
Just like I had already said, we are dedicated to helping generation of poor children and less-privilege families. I believe that caring for children, widows and other less-privileged persons is the cornerstone of human progress. As the bible says “give and it shall be given unto you”.
With the title that God has provided me with. I will leave no stone unturned to extend my hands of fellowship to all Nigerians who are in need especially poor children and widows.
During my research, I discovered that there were more less-privileged than the donors. The challenges of the outcome of helping the needy could also be handled effectively by you too. Thus, “the standing-up against poverty” programmed by some of my colleagues dedicated to the vision were to be appreciated for supporting the mission of the Foundation. My family, especially my loving wife, has been very supportive. They all know that the best period to make fundamental impact on the life of a human being is during the formative years, thus, the reason for setting up our goal of helping the needy and the measured we put in place through AAAF to achieve the goals.
So far, we give God the glory for our mother, Later Alhaja Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi, who is with the Lord now. In her life time she worked very hard to ensure that her children achieve greatness in life. Our ultimate goal is to make sure that her Foundation achieve international reputation.
Finally, let me appreciate our donors and foundation officers for their goods efforts last year. Let us all continue in the same spirit this year and subsequent years to come. Together we shall achieve our goals of putting smiles in the faces of the less-privileged persons in Nigeria. May God Almighty reward you abundantly. (Amen)
Dr. Taiwo Afolabi
Aaafoundation
Founder / Chairman
PRESIDENT'S SPEECH
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n times like this and looking at the cost took in running a charitable organization. I have come to the realization that giving to the needy is a way of appreciating God’s doing in our lives.
Nothing good comes easy. I have witnessed so many anguish in our society. I have seen children who are ready to learn without any wherewithal to do so. We at Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation have been positively reacting to these challenges. For instance, since the beginning of our charity foundation, we have been able to pay school fees for so many poor children, wipe tears from the eyes of many widows and bring smiles to the faces of many unemployed persons.
In Nigeria, the so call demon of poverty has endangered the lives of many children and families in various communities. Children are sold and forced into the labour market with the intent of making money.
This is clearly and affront to morality, the words of God and the convention of the international Labour Organization. Many street children are becoming failures due to lack of parental guide. When estimated, a lot of talents are being lost as a result of children being exposed to dangerous work and other vices. You hardly can do much correction. The cost is enormous. This is why the Government of Nigeria should also stand up and join the Millennium Development Goals campaign in a serious manner.
Finally, I want to appreciate our fellow charitable organizations and their staff for their vision. Of special mention are the SOS Children Village, all mention are the SOS children villages, the Nigeria NNGO’s who have been taking action against poverty and children labour. I equally thank all donors, guardians, administrative staffs of aaafoundation, the Afolabi’s, our family friends and my darling wife (Florence) for their contributions to making aaafoundation what it is today. Keep investing on charity development as a contribution to the work of God and humanity, the upliftment of the younger generation in the society. To this end, aaafoundation will continue to improve in all area of charity development nationwide and my prayer is that the Lord Almighty, who is the most giver, will continue to provide for us in all our ways. (Amen)
Deacon Wale Afolabi
Aaafoundation President.
BRINGING THE FAMILY TOGETHER
Fellow Nigerians,
As we are all aware, the family is the most important unit in society. Without the family being in peace and unity, there cannot be peace in the community, the country and the world at large. As part of our mission, we are determined to mobilize and bring together families, therefore bringing solution to the crime problem prevalent in our communities today.
As we have now entered into another decade, we use this opportunity to implore our religious leaders to put more efforts at spreading the good news about bringing together the family in unity. The recent case of the young man, Mr. AbdulMutallab Umar Farouk has once again brought to the fore the inadequacies of our family set up thereby causing disgrace and shame to the family and the country at large.
Throughout the world today, many families are not united. Hatred, malice, etc. are the order of the day. While many beloved parents are investing considerable time, energy and resources in fending for the family financially, yet the efforts to stop their children and youths falling into bad gangs leaves much to be desired. The recent Jos and Bauchi violent conflicts attest to this assertion.
We at AAAF have taken the initiative of helping to bring families together, an initiative which was developed and handed over to us by the great philanthropist, our own Late Alhaja Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi. We implore all and sundry to join us in this great duty and with God on our side, the battle is bound to be won.
Thank you all and may God bless you.
Mrs. Sola Soile
Pison Water
(AAAF Mother Representative)
LIFE SAVING JOURNEY
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ear friends of AAA Foundation, as we continue to move steadily to reach year 2010, the year set aside for the achievement of the millennium development goals, we must not loose sight of our collective responsibility to lead those left vulnerable by violence and devastation to the safety and security of home.
During these perilous and uncertain times, people everywhere are facing unprecedented challenges. But it is also during times of great trial that we are reminded of what is most precious in our lives…. Our families. Our health and a place we can call a home.
Throughout the world, millions of people have lost their most basic necessities. Men, women, and children are on the run, forced to leave everything behind in the face of violent conflicts e.g. Jos crisis etc. Many thousands of children who are on the streets of Nigeria today either they have been abandoned, or their families have been killed by disasters or even from broken homes. These children that must be great in future, but because they have not been in the efforts to lead them to the lifesaving journey from harm to home, are very likely to grow up to become criminals and prostitutes etc. Your support makes all the difference in our efforts to lead them on the lifesaving journey from harm to home. In the few months of 2009, please help us meet each new challenges in A.A.A. Foundation.
Thanks to your remarkable commitment and generosity, the future is full of hope for the less-privileged.
With deepest gratitude for your continued partnership and financial support of A.A.A. Foundation, I wish you and yours the very best in the New 2009.
