Big Deal as Ooni moves to build global, sustainable community with HAI

Uncomfortable with the increasing level of poverty in the society, First Class traditional Yoruba king, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, has launched a “Save-Our-Soul” Initiative – Hopes Alive Initiative (HAI), another in the series of intervention of the House of Oduduwa Foundation; this time, under the direct auspices of His Imperial Majesty.

Speaking recently with journalists in Lagos at the launching of HAI, Oba Adeyeye explained the modus for the move.

“It is a Social Advocacy Intervention designed to alleviate the social, cultural and environmental issues of reducing the impact of poverty among the most vulnerable in the society, while creating equal opportunities for all for exponential impact on the global society.

“Having realised that fingers are not equal, that doesn’t mean that the tallest finger should stand on its own without other fingers because they all work hand-in-hand to make a formidable feast.

Life itself is full of ups and downs; while some have food but they cannot eat, others can eat but have no food because life is full of challenge,” the royal father said.

He expatiated further: “Hope Alive Initiative is trying as much as possible to give hope to the hopeless, succour to the oppressed and the less privileged in the society.

God created everybody equally but some are more privileged to have more than the others, so there should be a mechanism and a platform or avenue to bridge the gap.”

The monarch said there is nothing as good as Hope Alive Initiative because it is the work of the Almighty God founded basically to give hope to the hopeless, to rekindle their hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

He confided that HAI is very dear to his heart because anything that has to do with human upliftment is very dear to him.

“I have always loved to live my life for humanity, this is not the first initiative; I have a lot of them, but thank God I met this young and vibrant lady who is in tune with what I am doing; she got connected to that dream and has the passion for it.

She is the one anchoring it; all I need to do is just support the initiative and make sure that everything goes on well”, he said.

Oba Adeyeye said further that his passion is to make HAI an advocacy to basically help the less privileged with back up testimonials, not just a talk show or jamboree but basically to make sure that it gets to the right and appropriate channels.

While generating a positive return to society, The Daily Times gathered that Hopes Alive Initiative is targeted to reach a large number of people, regardless of geographical limits, to eradicate the perils of suffering in today’s reality.

Strategy of HAI is to raise a social capital for underprivileged individuals by instilling in them a sense of belonging in spite of shortcomings with life goals for sustainable living.

Through the initiative, the House of Oduduwa Foundation aims to collaborate, learn about the issues, and disseminate information while raising awareness through campaigns, group events and activities.

Through the Hopes Alive Initiative, The Ooni combines his passion for social mission with an image of innovation, and determination to change the world. The time is certainly ripe for sustainable approach to social problems which have killed the society for years.

According to the coordinator of New Breeze World Team, Mrs Temitope Oluseyi Oshin, who is in charge of the Initiative, many governmental and philanthropic efforts, though committed, are yet to completely address the expectation of erasing poverty.

In addition to the innovative not-for-profit initiative of the House of Oduduwa Foundation like the Orphan Aid Project, she said, Oba Ogunwusi is adopting a mission to create and sustain social values for communities around the world through advocacy and behavioral and perception change.

“Recognising and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities to serve that mission, the Hopes Alive Initiative was born as an engaging process of innovation, adaptation, and appeal for continuous improvement of outcomes, poverty eradication, aid relief and women empowerment”, she said.

Mrs Oshin revealed that the Ooni has engaged New Breeze World, without limitation by resources on the Hopes Alive Initiative – to exhibit a heightened accountability to the constituencies of His Majesty across the world to serve and liberate vulnerable populations.

“The initiative will make fundamental changes in the way things are done in the social sector.

The vision of His Majesty has geared the Hopes Alive Initiative team to attack the underlying causes of issues, with tact while fulfilling His Majesty’s wish to eradicate global poverty and hunger in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations”, she said.

His Majesty, according to Oshin, seeks to create systemic changes and sustainable improvements.

“Though starting locally, His Majesty’s actions are sprawled to create and potentiate global improvements in chosen arenas in education, health care, economic development, environment, arts, aids relief and other social fields.

“Through the Hopes Alive Initiative, The Ooni seeks to build a strong and sustainable community around the world and generate more global good every day,” Oshin concluded.