Charity group empowers 18 Ondo widows, vulnerable residents with N3m support

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ondo State chapter of the Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation has distributed cash and empowerment items worth N3 million to 18 widows and other vulnerable residents as part of efforts to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods in the state.

The beneficiaries received sewing machines, grinding machines, deep freezers, refrigerators and cash during the programme held in Akure on Monday. The event, themed “Zakat Social Responsibility: Strengthening Economic Security, Community Cohesion, and National Peace,” also attracted Islamic scholars, traditional rulers and donors.

Speaking at the event, the State Coordinator of the foundation, Alhaji Abdulwasl Aliu, said the organisation had spent over 25 years promoting charity across Nigeria and 10 years in Ondo State, appreciating donors at home and in the diaspora for sustaining the initiative.

“We collect zakat and other donations from those willing to support the less privileged after carrying out proper assessments to determine genuine needs. Eighteen people benefited from this exercise, with widows receiving the larger share of the cash and empowerment items as part of activities marking Widows’ Week,” Aliu said.

The State Grand Patron of the foundation, Prof. Isiaq Amoo, urged more Muslims to fulfil their zakat obligations, noting that the foundation had continued to expand its humanitarian programmes, including scholarships, back-to-school support and community development projects.

Delivering a lecture, the acting Imam of the Government House Mosque, Akure, Ustadh Abdulwasl Yusuf, said charity remained a vital tool for promoting economic stability, peace and security, urging wealthy individuals and organisations to complement government efforts by empowering the needy.

“If people consistently support their families, neighbours and the less privileged, society will become more peaceful and economically stable. Giving back is not only an act of worship but also an investment in the security and wellbeing of the community,” Yusuf said.

Also speaking, the Alafin of Afin-Akoko, Oba AbdulRaheem Adejoro Mustapha, encouraged affluent Muslims to embrace the culture of giving, while one of the beneficiaries, Mrs Morufat Adeola, who received a deep freezer, expressed gratitude, saying the support would help her cater for her children and inspire her to assist others in the future.