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Tope Awolesi, a gospel musician popularly called Tope Glory has called on widows and other vulnerable women to prioritise preventive healthcare as he marked his birthday by providing food items and health awareness to widows in Ojodu community.
Speaking during the outreach, which was held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church Ojodu Hall, Tope Glory said the annual initiative was inspired by his desire to support widows, having witnessed the challenges they face following the loss of their husbands.
According to him, his mother is also a widow, a personal experience that motivated him to begin the annual outreach five years ago.
“I imagine how they feel without a husband. My mother is also a widow, so for the past five years I have been visiting widows on my birthday to bless them with gifts. I draw my inspiration from 1 Timothy 5:3, which says, ‘Honour widows that are widows indeed,’” he said.
He explained that although the programme started on a smaller scale, that this year’s edition was expanded to reach more beneficiaries.
As part of the outreach, the widows received food items including rice, garri, sliced bread, tomato paste sachets and salt.
Nurse Olufunmilayo Oduwole, a medical practitioner who addressed the beneficiaries urged the women to embrace preventive healthcare, stressing that prevention is less expensive than treatment.
The health expert advised the widows to wash their hands regularly with soap and water to prevent diseases such as cholera, maintain clean surroundings to reduce the spread of malaria, and go for routine blood pressure and blood sugar checks.
She also encouraged them to maintain healthy eating habits, exercise regularly, avoid patronising unqualified medical practitioners and support one another emotionally to guard against depression.
“They should not commit their health into the hands of quacks, and they should continue to check on one another so that no one suffers from depression alone,” the medical practitioner said.
Dr. Idowu Philips, popularly called Iya Rainbow, a veteran actress who is the Mother of the day and chairman of the event described the initiative as commendable and appealed to government authorities to support the humanitarian effort.
“What Tope Glory has done is a powerful one. I appeal to the government to support him. I believe God will take him higher in this ministry,” she said.
She also encouraged the widows to remain steadfast in faith, assuring them that God would continue to stand by them despite their circumstances.
Beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the support, describing the outreach as a life-changing gesture.
One of the widows Evan Titi Odubela said, “Tope Glory has really done well for us, particularly myself. We will never forget this. He has done what some people have never done before. May God Almighty bless him miraculously and prosper the work of his hands.”
The annual birthday outreach has become a platform through which Tope Glory provides practical support and hope to widows while promoting healthy living and community care.
