“Personally, I have always seen humanitarian work as part of everyone’s responsibility, I believe that we all can offer something to help another. To change the world is to first change our thought towards giving, and it has to be a collective movement.”
The above quote has been the driving force behind Zaynab Otiti-Obanor. The stylish woman is living up to her first name Zaynab which means munificence. The equally gorgeous woman believes that regardless of where you are in life, there is something that you can offer, and that you mustn’t wait to be rich to be able to save the world.
For her, the act of generosity must first start from our willingness to develop a kind spirit. This is where she derived the inspiration to start her foundation, Queen Zaynab Foundation.
As gathered by Society Watch, the Foundation has recorded tremendous success in the last few years since it was launched. She has tried in her own little way to set women in rural communities up in small businesses. The foundation has also given scholarships to kids from elementary levels to the university, giving aid to urgent needs of families, and rendered free medical care to a few communities in need.
But wait for it, she has also done what many other NGOs haven’t done, by building solar-powered systems to generate clean and safe water for many rural communities in Nigeria.
The dazzling damsel is also a global personality with a keen interest in rural development and social entrepreneurship, which has inspired most of her investments and work in her recent contributions to the urban development of rural areas.
In August 2017, during the UNGA week, she was awarded a ‘Humanitarian of the Year’ by Kechies Project, an organisation that concentrates on girl child education that she has fiercely contributed towards.
The city of New Jersey, US, alongside the senate committee, also presented her with an award, acknowledging her contributions to the betterment of Africa as well as bringing awareness to problems that plague women and children such as poverty, economic strife and illiteracy.
Her quest for development and peace birthed the Arab African Economic Development Initiative (AAEDI). It was established to promote and improve cultural and international relations between Arab countries in the Middle East and Africa. So far, 34 countries across both continents have become partners of the organisation, pledging their support along with their relevant ministries in their various governments.
