By; Al Humphrey Onyanabo
Sometimes you wonder how she makes time to pack so much into her life and excel at everything. Just being the wife of Pastor Idowu Iluyomade is enough work. Pastor Idowu is in charge of Region 20 of the Redeem Christian Church of God, RCCG, and has thousands of parishes under him. He is also a Special Assistant to the General Overseer, Daddy G.O. on Corporate Social Responsibility. She has to help her husband in these duties. That’s one part of her.
She is a mother of three children, a Motivational Speaker and Activist and the Founder of the Arise Women’s Conference which for 15 years has helped uplift the substance of Nigerian women.
Dr Siju Iluyomade is a top corporate lawyer in one of the most respected and fastest growing law firms in Nigeria with top-of-the-line blue chip clients, she helps close mega deals constantly and advice clients on their numerous legal entanglements but she can switch in a second to talk passionately about women empowerment, discuss female health challenges and plan an outreach for the medical screening of women and children.
Follow me. Her NGO has conducted free medical outreach for treatment and screening for women in 16 local government areas of Lagos state. In 15 years, 3.5 million women have benefited.
She organizes bimonthly, the free Arise Clinic outpatient outreach at Healing Stripes, Victoria Island, Lagos, over 45,000 people have benefitted.
The Arise Women Conference medical section has also provided food for about 4.2 million people in the past 15 years. Ten women have been sponsored abroad for medical treatment and surgery. She organizes the Arise Annual Health Walk for Life. And there is more.
3.5 women have received training through the Arise Women Conference. She has also donated business instruments for over 50 women to have a fresh start in life providing them with sewing machines, deep freezers, cake mixers, grinding machines and hair dryers.
There is also the Arise Free Skill Empowerment Programme. Arise has empowered women with life skills such as soap making, Make-up, Gele, hair making, bead making, wig making, etc. I hear over 16,000 women have benefitted.
For 15 long years, Dr Siju has been in the limelight without a single stain or scandal. Her NGO has continued to grow in leaps and bounds, gaining more relevance and acceptance every day.
She has made herself and her organization through hard work and her passion to uplift others an indispensable partner inrogress of the Lagos State Government.
Hear Dr Siju talk about the future of her NGO.
“We need to step up our advocacy and raise our voices in unison. To bring to light the many areas that need urgent interventions. Our collective voice can make a world of difference in our nations and to our succeeding generation.”
She continues.
“Secondly, we need stronger partnership and alliances between women, Government, Private Organizations and men to tackle issues threatening our existence. With partnership we STEP UP and we
Can achieve bigger interventions or projects. The problems we face as a Nation is mega. We need to step up together.”
She concludes,
“Arise invites you to pool together investments. We need big-ticket investment in our nation.
The investment will go a long way in Education, Healthcare delivery, and infrastructure. Pooling of resources by Government, private sector bodies like Arise will bring about sure and sustainable development In Nigeria.”
Dr. Suju has proved to her wealthy friends that doing good and helping to uplift humanity can be very fulfilling and also an extension of their service to God.
When people give to Arise, they know they are supporting a worthy cause, partnering to help the downtrodden. They need no convincing that the money they give will go to the intended purpose. Over the years they have watched her make good on her promises with evidence to show. She has worked and earned the trust of her partners.
She can be likened to a machine with a human heart. Everything she does is meticulously planned and executed. No shortcuts from start to finish, all outcomes are known in advance.
She and her husband are down-to-earth unpretentious people, in church, they dance like there is no tomorrow. Pastor Idowu’s moves are well known. They have a deep connection that has not only sustained their marriage and their service to God but that also inspires thousands of others to the ideal of what a happy marriage should be.
She and her husband are classic examples of a power couple. They move in the circles of the rich and powerful, they are influential and also walk in faith and power. Dr. Siju is unmistakably glamourous and elegant. She makes no pretenses for hugging the good things of life. Her adornments are a reflection of God’s glory. She comes out every day looking beautiful for herself, her husband, and her God.
Celebrating 15 years of the Arise Women Conference also coincided with the 90th birthday of her mother, a grand dame and who can fault her for throwing a one-in-town party to celebrate all the wonderful things the Lord has done for her . She had the upper echelon of society present and her classmates of over 40 years ago at Queens College.
After all the rigorous planning involved in doing good and helping others, she deserved to let her hair down for once and enjoy it. And she did.
By; Al Humphrey Onyanabo ( The StoryTeller)
Tel; +2347054674906
Email; nigeria360online@gmail.com