The Bonny Women Forum (BWF) says it was starting the new year 2023 on a high impact note by putting smiles on the faces of the elderly across Bonny Island through donations of food stuffs, cash and other welfare items.

It said this was a tip of the iceberg when compared with what is in the offing, giving hint of imminent sustainable empowerment initiatives to reposition women in the area for improved living conditions.

Woman Leader of Bonny Kingdom, Amaopuorubo Helen Jack-Wilson Pepple, gave this hint on Saturday, January 14, 2023, in an interview with Kristina Reports on the side lines of a door-to-door outreach programme for the elderly organized by the BWF in Bonny Island, Rivers State.

She described the outreach programme as a seed sown into the lives of the elderly, adding that it was a time to give back to mothers who had given their all in development of families and society by extension.

“Life’s all about give and take. We have the elderly in our midst and it is a new year. The word of God says seedtime and harvest time shall not seize. So, it’s a time for Bonny women forum to sow into the lives of the elderly in our community. Let them feel our impact, let them know we love them, they are our mothers, we learn from them. So, it’s time to give back to them and show them love”.

The Bonny Woman Leader, who is the first female Secretary of the Bonny Local Government Council, attributed the success of the outreach to the unwavering support of the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, adding that the Monarch would continue to be the hero of women of the kingdom.

“The Amanyanabo of Bonny is our father, he showed us love. Every year, he calls the Bonny women executives to say take this for the women. So for me, it shows the extent of love he has for women of his Kingdom. Always putting us in his plan and keeping us up to speed with the scheme of things. How else can we appreciate him than to continue to put him in our prayers which we would do I can assure, you.” 

Explaining why they decided to take up the empowerment items by themselves to the beneficiaries, she pointed that the executives of the Women Forum did not want any situation of mismanagement of resources and shortchange against the Elderly women that it was designed for, noting that their field experience was not just astonishing but fulfilling and worthwhile.

“Not just sending it through a third party that may be compromised but going to see them ourselves; so far, we have seen an aged woman of 111 years, we have seen one of 106 years, we have seen those who are bedridden, we have seen those who do not know where the next meal may come from. We’ve been able to put smiles on their faces and that is what life should be all about if you as me.” 

“Beyond the amount of wealth one may have amassed, to what extent are lives being touched? It is one of our goals at Bonny Women Forum to reach out and directly touch lives positively”.

On what the younger women should look up to in terms of sustainable livelihood, the business tycoon and Secondary School Proprietress told Kristina Reports that “the basket is filled as the cat shouldn’t be let out of the bag yet, just wait at the right time, we will provide the needed impact.”

Adorned in blue blouses, blue headgears and matching wrappers with background musical equipment sounding melodious tunes, the Leadership of the Bonny Women Forum and other select participants had launched out across Bonny Main Town and Finima Community on Saturday, January 14, 2023 to over 40 homes of Elderly Women in Bonny, gifting them with foodstuffs, cash, and other welfare items as a way to express love and ameliorate their living conditions.

Although Bonny Island is adjudged as a rich community because of the operations of multinational oil and gas companies, there are still those living below 500 naira per day on the Island and efforts like this by not-for-profits and other well-meaning individuals or corporate entities would be a panacea to the reduction of pressure within families and by extension brighten up the experiences at the grassroots for a better society.