SOLAYO: Rescuing the poor from delivery burdens

By Maria Famakinwa
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Mrs Idowu Busari, an expectant mother who any moment from now would put to bed, had been having sleepless nights over how she would get delivery kits.

According to her, she had been struggling to complete the purchase of the items but the money to do that was not forthcoming. Thanks to SOLAYO, an initiative of the wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs Betty Akeredolu who came to Mrs Busari’s rescue by providing all the needed kits. Mrs Busari can now have her delivery without sweat as she was full of smiles while talking to The Hope.

 “Despite the fact that I will put to bed any time soon, I was struggling to complete the delivery items I am to bring to the labour room. I have tried all I could, I had given up because the money was not forthcoming until I was informed that the First Lady had taken care of the items.

“This is coming as a surprise to me because I never expected it. It is a great news to me and I can describe the unborn child as being lucky. You can see that all the beneficiaries are happy for these gifts and I want to tell you that we shall continue to pray and support this administration to succeed. We say thank you ma to the Governor’s wife for the beautiful gifts. That is to further prove that she is a good mother who understands what women need in the State and she is providing them,”she noted.

Women have benefitted immensely from the various programmes of the First Lady of Ondo State, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu. Beneficiaries of the programmes; FOWOSO, BRECAN, Bemore, Tennis Club among others spread across the state. Her Excellency  this time around is not leaving any stone unturned at making women across the state live healthy to achieve their economic and political aspirations through the initiative of yet another programme; SOLAYO. With the programme, Mrs Akeredolu is focusing on indigent expectant mothers across the 18 local government areas of the state.

Mrs Akeredolu known for her natural love for female gender said that she observed most pregnant women could not afford all the items needed for safe delivery which informed her decision to  lend a helping hand because giving birth according to her should be a thing of joy. SOLAYO is a complete delivery kits distributed freely to 55 needy expectant mothers in each local government of the state by Mrs Akeredolu for safe delivery and promotion of safe motherhood. SOLAYO delivery kits which contains pampers, gloves, disposable lynol, spirit, cotton wool, detol, baby lotion and powder, pad among other items. According to the First Lady, the  gesture was borne out of the love  towards maternal and child health care. “It is a life saving solution for maternal and child health to ensure that pregnant women have  clean, safe and hygienic delivery.

“Pregnancy should be a thing of joy but when you do not have means to buy delivery items required, it becomes a problem and we have to step in and help because women will continue to have babies and not many can afford the items. Giving birth is a beautiful experience that every woman should experience but it is not so for every woman because they lack basic needs.”

While assuring women in the state of continuous support, she advised them to give birth to the number of children they can cater for.”Out of humanity, we are supporting our women and creating awareness for then to give birth only to the number of children they can nuture because there are other things to be attended to and children need good nutrition.”

 The First Lady who enjoined women to embrace child spacing in order to reduce poverty and improve their health also advised them against female circumcision.”Female circumcision is barbaric, archaic and detrimental to the lives of women. Parents should desist from such act.”

The chairperson, Akure South local government, Mrs Olufunke Adeniyi lauded the initiative as she revealed that it would save  indigent pregnant women the stress of sourcing for money to buy baby delivery kits. “Fifty five pregnant women have benefitted from the kits distributed by the wife of the state Governor, Mrs Akeredolu in Akure South Local Government Area.

 ” This is a good development to further show the love, Mrs Akeredolu has for women in the state. The same gesture will also be replicated in other local governments in the state, meaning that a lot of pregnant women will not bother themselves on how and where to get money for delivery items. I really thank Mrs Akeredolu for coming to the aid of expectant mothers in the state and I pray that God will give her sound health to carry out all her plans for women in the state.”

In her contribution, Chairperson, Odigbo Local Government, Mrs Rebecca Ikumawoyi also appreciated Mrs Akeredolu for kits given to indigent pregnant women in the local government, revealed that it will go a long way to prepare expectant mothers for delivery day and also help to improve maternal and child health in the state as she assure Mrs Akeredolu of her support. “This is indeed a great idea to help expectant women prepare for the delivery day. Many of them before now did not have money to buy the required items which often pose challenges to them but with the free distribution of SOLAYO gifts, such challenges had been solved. We also want to thank Governor Akeredolu for his concerns for women and we are assuring you of our cooperation to move the state forward.”

Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Hospital Magement Board, Dr Francis Akanbiemu who commended Mrs Akeredolu for her SOLAYO initiative and added that it will help reduce some of the problems confronting pregnant women in the state as he revealed that many of them come to labour room with nothing due to financial challenges. “The major challenge medical doctors and nurses face in the labour room is the inability of expectant mothers to provide delivery kits. Is only few of them who can afford it due to their financial status.

“With the provision of free delivery kits to pregnant women across the state by the First Lady will go a long way to address this challenges, make pregnant women well prepared, aid safe delivery and also assist doctors and nurses to carry out their duty without stress. This is indeed commendable and we are very happy with this development.”

 A beneficiary, Mrs Taiwo Ajayi who lauded the efforts of Mrs Akeredolu for her kind gestures explained that she could not buy all the required items when she had her first child but her SOLAYO kit given to her will help her to solve her problem. “When I checked the items in the kit, I was very happy because it contains all what pregnant women should provide on delivery day. I thank the First Lady for providing the items.”

 Another expectant mother who benefitted from the SOLAYO kits, Mrs Busayo Obisesan revealed that she was still struggling on how to buy her delivery items when she was told that the First Lady will be giving them free delivery kits. “I am very grateful to Mrs Akeredolu, I pray God will bless her.”

Also, Mrs Olufunke Fatumuroti, could not hide her joy as she described SOLAYO kits given to her as timely.”Sincerely, I have been thinking of where to get money to buy all the delivery items needed. Though, one may be thinking that is not much but by the time you start calculating them one after the other you will understand that it is not easy especially with the economic situation in the country.

 “I thank God that I am one of the beneficiaries and I also want to thank the wife of Ondo State Governor for extending her love to us. You can see that other beneficiaries are equally happy. It is a sign of good things to come especially for women in the State. Mrs Akeredolu before now had been showing her love for women through her different programmes to better improve women standard of living .