Arise Women celebrates 10th anniversary

In a colourful gathering of women drawn from different parts of Nigeria and beyond, Arise Women recently held its 10th year conference amidst prayers and praises to God.

With the theme, Arise Now, the convener and founder, Siji Iluyomade, charged women to step out and be a voice to the next woman in need.

Arise has over the years provided a forum where thousands of women have been impacted, inspired and encouraged to achieve their God-given potential, by the words and teachings of carefully chosen and proven speakers.

With passion for the health of women and free preventive medical care offered to thousands of women in the area of HIV tests, malaria, pneumonia, blood pressure and sugar-level tests, Arise has also offered free screening for cervical cancer, ophthalmic services and prescription glasses have also been given to women.

The foundation has established mobile clinics which have delivered free primary healthcare to the doorsteps of communities like Ebute-Metta, Makoko, Lagos Island, Surulere LGA, Iwaya, Apapa, Yaba, Itedo village, Lekki, Queens College, Lagos, Amuwo Odofin/Festac area, and recently Masha/Kilo Community held at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Arise also operates a bi-monthly Arise Women’s Clinic at the Healing Stripes Hospital, Victoria Island as an outpatient clinic for women. It also adopted Dafara Primary School in Dafara Village in Kuje, Abuja, where boreholes were constructed, classrooms renovated and furnished, while free medical care was given to thousands of residents.

According to Mrs. Iluyomade, the call to arise is immediate, intentional, urgent and deliberate; it is an active word that commands action and alertness.

“The need to ‘Arise now’ is evident in the 100 million Nigerians who are currently living below poverty level. They account for over 61 per cent of our population represented by the countless numbers of women who are unemployed, have no access to healthcare, and the girl child who is denied basic education.

“Millions of women everywhere are not economically empowered to provide basic needs for themselves, their family or be responsible citizens of the nation. According to UNICEF, Nigeria has 10.5 million out of school children; about 60 per cent of these numbers are girls.”

Some of the dignitaries present at the conference include: Wife of Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Dame Emmanuella Fashola; former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Princess Sarah Sosan; former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen; wife of Imo State Governor, Nneoma Rochas Okorocha; wife of Kwara State Governor, Omolara Omolewa Ahmed; Special Adviser to President on SDG, Princess Orelope Adefulire; wife of former Chief of Naval Staff, Mrs. Jibriel Jemila and CEO, Tastee Fried Chicken, Mrs. Dupe Siago.