Foundation Extends Empowerment Initiative To 4,000 Widows, Vulnerable Persons

A total of 4,000 vulnerable widows, women and other disadvantaged persons have benefitted from MaryCrown Foundation’s annual birthday empowerment initiative following a major expansion of the programme by its founder, Ambassador Mary Olubunmi Gbadewole (née Adeyemi).

The Nigeria-born humanitarian doubled the number of beneficiaries from 2,000 to 4,000, extending its outreach to Abuja, Ibadan, Igbeti in Oyo State, Ilorin and Newark, New Jersey, United States (US).

The expansion followed an overwhelming response to the foundation’s multi-centre birthday outreach, prompting organisers to increase the number of beneficiaries to address growing humanitarian needs across the various locations.

According to the foundation, participation in Newark exceeded initial projections, while the increasing number of widows and vulnerable persons seeking assistance at the Nigerian centres underscored the need for an expanded intervention.

The organisers described the development as further evidence of the foundation’s growing humanitarian footprint in Nigeria and abroad.

The grand finale of the outreach was held at the Staff Community School, Bwari, Abuja, attracting government officials, business leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, development partners, community stakeholders, family members and well-wishers who gathered to celebrate the foundation’s humanitarian impact.

Simultaneous events were also held in Ibadan, Igbeti, Ilorin, and Newark, enabling thousands of beneficiaries to participate in person and virtually.

As part of the empowerment programme, beneficiaries received direct cash grants through physical disbursements and electronic transfers facilitated by officials of Wema Bank and Taj Bank.

At the event, Gbadewole said the foundation increased the number of beneficiaries after witnessing the enormous humanitarian needs across the various outreach locations.

“The responsibility has increased, and necessity has called on us. We could not ignore the cries of more widows and vulnerable people who needed support. That is why we decided to increase the number of beneficiaries. Our mission has always been to restore hope and empower people to become self-reliant,” she said.

She explained that the Foundation’s interventions are designed to create sustainable livelihoods rather than provide temporary relief, urging beneficiaries to regard the cash grants and business tools as seed capital for income-generating ventures.

Also, her husband, Dr Amos Kayode Gbadewole, managing director and chief executive officer of Crown Luxury Properties, described generosity as one of his wife’s defining qualities, saying humanitarian service has become an integral part of her life.

He commended her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of widows and other vulnerable persons and expressed confidence that the MaryCrown Foundation would continue to expand its humanitarian interventions across Nigeria and beyond.