WICCI : We are propelled by a commitment to God and humanity

Mrs Doyinsola Adebayo , the Founder and Executive Director of Women, Infants and Children Care Initiative (WICCI) has revealed that the commitment of the organisation to the promotion of well-being of women , youths and marginalized groups is a reflection of a personal conviction to support the vulnerable and marginalized women and girls.

In this exclusive interview with ValidViewNetwork, Mrs Adebayo shared her thoughts on the organisation and its activities.

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Can we meet you please?

My name is Doyinsola Adebayo (Mrs.).

I am the Founder and the Executive Director of a Non-Governmental Organization – Women, Infants and Children Care Initiative (WICCI).

Can you please give us an insight into Wicci. How did you catch the vision?

WICCI is a non-governmental organization legally registered in Nigeria for the promotion of gender equality, advancement of women and youths and social inclusion of the marginalized groups.

WICCI targets marginalized groups, poor rural women, unemployed urban women, Trafficking in Persons, migrants, FSWs, victims of domestic violence, indigent and vulnerable women and children, out-of-school girls, single mothers, PLHIV and school children.

One of the strategies that we adopt to enable us use our resources efficiently and effectively to achieve our objectives are: Collaboration, partnering and networking with local, national and international organizations in Nigeria, within Africa and worldwide.

WICCI was initiated after I visited the United States of America . The idea was inspired by the welfare system I observed first hand in USA. The sole objective of the American Welfare scheme is to empower the physically disadvantaged groups in the society and to enhance standard of living. Typically, Africa has the greatest proportion of children who are orphans. This spurred the idea to create a non-governmental organization with the sole objective of catering for the interest of poor pregnant women, adolescents, single mothers, widows, infants and other vulnerable groups in the society.

What are the major giant strides of Wicci?

WICCI has been waxing stronger on a daily basis. We are growing and improving in our commitments. We have made several interventions and recorded great achievements some of which include:

i. Provision of a solar-powered borehole system for Opeyemi community, Eleweran, Odeda Local Government, 2019. Sponsored by US Embassy, Abuja, Nigeria.

ii. Advocacy and Accountability/Community-Led in Malaria project in Imeko-Afon & Yewa North LGAs, May 2020 – Nov.2023. Sponsored by CRS/Global Fund.

iii. Reintegration of 47 victims of trafficking in Edo State, Nigeria. Project sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC), 2020–2021.

iv. Provision of emergency relief assistance to survivors of Modern-Day Slavery in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Jan. 2022- Dec. 2026. Project sponsored by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Right.

iv. Reintegration of 115 victims of human trafficking in Ogun State, Nigeria. Project sponsored by UNODC, 2022-2024.

These are indeed great achievements. What has been the driving force?

I can say the drive is basically a commitment to God and humanity. My passion to assist the vulnerable and marginalized women and girls keeps driving me to do more. It appears to me daily that we have not started as our vision and goal is to support as many as possible and put smiles on the faces of the people and giving a great future to the neglected and marginalized. .

Considering the prevailing economic situations, how is WICCI able to achieve its goals.

WICCI has been around for over 18 years and we have developed a good relationship with community drivers, government agencies and international partners. As a member of network of organizations working in the areas of interest, we work together in synergy to achieve our overall objectives. To the glory of God, we have been working with United Nations since 2020 till date. We are doing well and we are poised to do better in 2024.

What major activities or interventions of your organization would you describe as Unforgettable

There are many of such interventions that are just remarkable. Let me share one with you. In 2009-2010, I frequented the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta during monthly OVC (Orphan and Vulnerable Children) meeting to support the children with material items and encourage the mothers to always keep good hygiene and so on. I always feel excited and look forward to the meeting every month; it was the days of humble beginning. I was convinced that our interventions were positive and this gives me great joy.

Are there challenges confronting operations of WICCI.

Yes, of course. Staff attrition is one of the major challenges that we face at WICCI. The second challenge is politicking where NGOs are being sidelined in governance and decision-making at the grass-root and State levels. No funding in the budget-line to support youth and adolescent girls. Government often relies on NGOs to carry out some social responsibilities of the government. There are just numerous challenges and it will take a systemic restructuring of our valus system and ideas for us to successfully mitigate the challenges.

Can you make suggestions for the government towards improvement of welfare of the masses

I am always happy to do that. We will continue to speak and advocate for a better system. We are optimistic that there will be improvement if we do not stop. Some suggestions I would like the Nigerian government to consider are :

Education: Investing in education infrastructure and quality to ensure that citizens have access to equal and quality learning opportunities. Also implement policies to promote vocational and technical education to equip citizens with practical skills for employment.

Healthcare: Increase funding for the healthcare sector to improve facilities, equipment, and the overall quality of healthcare services. Implement and strengthen health insurance programs to ensure that citizens have access to affordable healthcare.

Employment and economic development: Promotion of policies that can attract foreign and domestic investments to trigger economic growth. Support small and medium-sized enterprises to create more job opportunities. Invest in infrastructure projects that can create jobs and improve the overall business environment. They are just many but we can begin from somewhere and if we are committed to it, we will soon be where we ought to be.

Thank you for your time.

You are welcome, please.