Though she is also known as a first lady of Ondo state, the office of the first lady in no way defines who she is or what she has done. As a cancer survivor, she founded the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), in order to cater to women with breast cancer and also raise awareness for the much dreaded disease. But that is far from all, she is also the founder of the Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu Foundation (BAAF), which is a non-profit organization with a mission to create opportunities and inspire positive social change for human development. The preceding paragraph summarizes why we opted for Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu as our everyday hero.
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Background of the Woman Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu is an aquaculturist and philanthropist. She was born on 20 July 1953, to the family of Chief BUB and Nneoma Dora Anyanwu, in Emeabiam, Owerri-West, in Imo State. Anyanwu-Akeredolu attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology in 1977. She holds a Master of Science degree in fisheries, major in aquaculture, from the University of the Philippines Visayas in Iloilo City.
Career-wise, she began her career as a fisheries expert while working with the Federal Department of Fisheries. She retired in 2005. She is a commercial fish farmer and provides consultancy services through her firm, Aquatek Farms Ventures. In addition, she has made a foray into politics since 2007 and is still active in partisan politics.
Charity and Philanthropy
In 1997, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent treatment and survived. She started the nonprofit organization, Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) to raise awareness of the disease. She has won awards in recognition of her work and commitment in the fight against breast cancer in Nigeria. But in addition to that, she founded the Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu Foundation (BAAF), which is a non-profit organization with a mission to create opportunities and inspire positive social change for human development. BAAF contributes to the effort of both government and other non-governmental organisations in improving the quality of lives of rural dwellers through personal hygiene promotion, education and providing access to sanitation facilities.
The goals of Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu’s philanthropies has been:
- Increasing the capacity of host communities to respond positively to hygiene and sanitation issues in their schools.
- Initiating in-school programs (health club) to comprehensively address issues of hygiene and sanitation.
- Provision of physical facility to address basic hygiene and sanitation challenges in the school.
- Proper documentation of findings from the project implementation process to inform development efforts in healh and development at the community level in Nigeria.
- Empowering in-school youths with income generation skills to lead and sustain a decent standard of living.
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Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu Foundation (BAAF) is a non-profit organization with a mission to create opportunities and inspire positive social change for human development. BAAF contribute to the effort of both government and other non-governmental organisations in improving the quality of lives of rural dwellers through personal hygiene promotion, education and providing access to sanitation facilities.
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has also lent her voice strongly to girl child advocacy. For example, she is also a supporter of the Bring Back Our Girls movement.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Baafonline
People Pill
Featured Image Source: Ondo Events
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