It has been a tough year to say the very least. As a community, Igosun lost many people over the last year that affected those we are helping in addition to those individuals who help Ebunlomo Olagunju Foundation with all the different events that take place in Igosun. Grief and sadness seemed to rock the land. However, as many know, weeping lasts for the night but joy comes in the morning!

We are so excited to announce JOY flooded into Igosun, Kwara State, Nigeria on June 1st, 2019. Isaac and Holly Olagunju, founders of Ebunlomo Olagunju Foundation, were able to travel to Igosun and be in attendance for Mission 1:27, our 7th Widows and Widowers event. What an exciting time. With all the suffering over the past year, our goal was to rock the village and turn over a new leaf. Early Saturday morning the set up began. People flooded in to help. Tents were went up, chairs set up, speakers stacked up, food bags propped up and balloons tied up! The buzz and excitement was undeniable! The people of Igosun knew it was time for a new season. Life was being breathed back into the village. Joy was being restored and a new day had dawned.

As the program commenced at 11 am in the center court of the Palace in Igosun, not only did the Widows and Widowers gather but children and others gathered at the gate to be part of the excitement. It was a commemorative day as this was the first time Holly Olagunju was able to be on the ground, participating in one of our events. The people of Igosun were so honored and overjoyed to have her back in the village. She was honored to be there!

Our goal for Mission 1:27 on June 1st was to make an even bigger impact than what has been done up to this point. We wanted the Widows and Widowers to not only be blessed but to be shocked by what they were receiving. For this food distribution, approximately 250 Widows and Widowers received a customized bag containing almost 18 pounds of rice. To some, rice may not seem like that big of a deal. In Nigeria, rice is an item very few people can afford and it is definitely something that most people would never give away in this quantity. Even those in attendance who helped hand out bags of food to our recipients were taken back by the amount that was given out. It was such an amazing feeling to know what was being distributed was not only desperately needed but our recipients were shocked at the generosity and amount given.

The event was a complete success no matter from what angle it was measured. God was in it! We believed it was important to acknowledge where the village and foundation have been this past year in preparation to move forward. We prepared 3 chairs to honor the supporters the foundation lost this past year. Through a moment of silence we honored Mr. Simeon Olagunju (son of our honoree), Mr. Jide Olagunju (grandson of our honoree), and Mrs. Musili Lawal  (previous member of our Implementation Committee). It was a sad moment but a necessary one to acknowledge those we have lost are not forgotten but it is time to move on with the work we believe God has mandated on us. We are blessed to be a blessing and that work will continue!

To honor our special guests, there is always a High Table set at the front where those guests are seated. Our High Table guests consisted of the following:

• Reverend Joshua Oluwadore
• Mrs. Ayo Oshundun
• Mr. Isaac Olagunju
• Mrs. Holly Olagunju
• Mr. Ayo Olagunju
• Mr. Johnson Adekunle Olagunju
• Mrs. Victoria Olagunju
• Mrs. Stella Olagunju
• Mrs. Alice Titiloye
• Mr. Caleb Attitebi
• Rev. Gabriel Olagunju

Each of our guests had the opportunity to hand out bags of rice to our Widows and Widowers. Toward the end of the program, Isaac and Holly Olagunju together took their turn to distribute food. The attendees were excited to see them get up to participate. They had a little fun with the attendees by placing the bags of rice on their heads just like the villagers do to carry their loads through the village. Everyone laughed and had a great time.

As the event came to a close and the attendees were preparing their loads to return to their homes, our team turned up the volume on the speakers and a celebration of joy and thankfulness broke out in the courtyard. The guests of the High Table, the Implementation Committee and our attendees joined in dancing, smiling and taking pictures to remember this special day! The party continued as we walked a few doors down to the house of our honoree, Mrs. Ruth Ebunlomo Olagunju, where she awaited our arrival on her breezeway. She was singing and praising Jesus for a successful and ground shaking event. We wanted to let the devil know, Jesus wins! Light wins over darkness and weeping only lasts for a night. Joy is what returns in the morning!

We are so thankful to each one of our donors as these events would not be possible without each one of you. Grateful to our Implementation Committee and their commitment to making these events happen on the ground. We are all blessed to be a blessing!

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