Fast growing into prominence is Mariam Onikijipa Belgo. She is Sheikh Farooq Onikijipa’s daughter, a woman of substance and philanthropist par excellence. Her philanthropist activities are the reason why she is getting more popular aside from being a proud daughter of the renown Islamic cleric and grand mufti of Ilorin. She is the beautiful wife of Abdulsalam Belgore, son of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Salhiu Modibbo Alfa Belgore.
Mariam is a silent achiever and her many strides have no doubt brought her to the limelight. She presently runs an NGO called Mariam Onikijipa Belgore (MOB) Foundation. The foundation is known for its passionate drive towards promoting the act of benevolence and putting smiles on faces of the masses. In fulfilling its mission and making it far reaching, the foundation has over the years been traveling the length and breadth of Nigeria trying to reach out to the indigents.
The MOB Foundation also focuses on continually touching the lives of every girl-child around her. This no doubt is a testimony to one of the most cherished legacies of her father, Sheikh Farooq Onikijipa that is “in all we do, humanity comes first.”
As a way of making the NGO function well, she has been donating a huge bulk of her income coupled with support from people of like minds. The foundation serves as an avenue where beneficiaries can have all access to that would improve their quality of life. She has extended her hands of benevolence by visiting several IDP camps in Nigeria, where she sponsored children’s education, distributes sanitary towels to kids, distributes Food items, toiletries and other important materials for survival.
Mariam has demonstrated unflinching commitment to the advocacy against rape, child labour, child molestation and female genital mutilation. She has indeed given voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless. She has constantly lent her voice by galvanizing the private sector in the need to address illiteracy affecting children as they are all entitled to quality education and good life regardless of their background.
One of her many posts on the foundation’s Facebook account shows how passionate she is about the course of giving back to society and adding value to humanity. The quote states “Amidst all.. struggling to find “her” place in the society.. screaming to be heard.. going through PUBERTY… sore breasts.. menstrual Cramps.. Pregnancy Drama.. Delivery Saga.. Nursing and Nurturing.. Motherhood>endless endless Sacrifices and Compromises of a lifetime… and amidst all still.. SHE is STANDING… living life as though normal… everyday a STRUGGLE.. every minute a CHALLENGE.. but SHE is embodied in so much GRACE.. clothed in so much STRENGTH and honorable more than SHE ever will be CELEBRATED! Wishing every young little GIRL-HAPPY GIRL CHILD’s DAY for YOU are STRONGER than the entire world force put TOGETHER …..Without YOU GIRL, there is no EXISTENCE! ~M.O.B”
During the period when the world was currently ravaged by the global COVID-19 pandemic, Mariam spent millions of Naira in distribution of palliative to people in Lagos, Abuja and Kwara. Her philanthropic and humanitarian works are top notch and worthy of praise. She is a role model to many other ladies and women.
– Jamiu Abubakar
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