Bidemi Atoyede is a resolute young woman living with disability in Epe Local government area of Lagos.
Bidemi had been living in deplorable conditions before the intervention of Bruderhilfe. She has no parents, but lives in her family house with her family home with her sister and aged uncle who are also too poor to help her. Because of her condition, she had often been taken advantage of and abused by men predators, and has 3 children, whose fathers are unknown.
Join us in the next few days, as we take you through the journey of Bidemi Atoyede.
We received videos about Bidemi’s condition from someone who witnessed Bruderhilfe’s work with other people with disabilities and vulnerable women in Nigeria, and who wanted us to include Bidemi under our “project Inclusive” initiative for people with disabilities, and our “one family at a time” Initiative for families of vulnerable women in deplorable conditions.
Bidemi has been surviving by begging for money at Aiyetoro and through the help of neighbours and other kind hearted individuals who give her money to feed and buy clothing for her children. Her sister sometimes has to travel all the way from Ijebu-ode to bring her food. The neighbours also help her take care of her children and carry them as she is sometimes limited by her disability.
Bidemi desired to send her childern to school, and she often goes to parties to sell poly-bags to try to gather some funds, but the money she made from all these was barely even enogh to feed and buy her family basic needs.
Bruderhilfe team paid Bidemi a visit to verify the information we received, and vet the true situation. We met her for the first time and also took along some basic living items, including food, clothing, footwear and household items, which we donated to her and her family.
Bruderhilfe continued the intervention in the life of Bidemi by renovating her family apartment built by her parents, where she has lived all her life. The building was plastered and painted, with doors, door nets, windows and ceiling boards replaced. Bruderhilfe also equipped with household necessities including furniture, new carpet, new matrass, mosquito net and beddings.
The Executive Director, Bruderhilfe Social Development Initiative, Mrs. Mary Bruder, also paid Bidemi a special visit, as part of her humanitarian donations initiative, taking with her more basic living items.
Bidemi’s children were also included under the Bruderhilfe Scholarship scheme and enrolled in school and supported with educational materials. Bidemi had expressed the desire that she wants her children to be put in school, so that they would be successful in the future. Bruderhilfe also donated children’s reading story books to the school where her children were enrolled, to increase the capacity to their school library.
Bidemi was included under our “project Karakata” initiative for establishing women under sustainable businesses.
She desired to start a trading business when asked, and Bruderhilfe constructed a trading Kiosk for her use.
Bruderhilfe has now provided Bidemi with the money in form of capital to help her establish a business that would enable her cater for herself and her children.
We are grateful to everyone who is a part of Bidemi’s story, and aim to continue providing Bidemi and her family with all the support they need to live fulfilling lives.