By Tare Youdeowei

With the renowned objectives of promoting friendship, encouraging the ideals of personal service and fostering international understanding, International Inner Wheel is an association of Wives and direct relations of Rotarians United in the ideas of service.

Mrs. Oluyemisi Alatise

This worldwide organization which is entirely philanthropic in nature and prides itself in its services to the less privileged and the society at large has had its first African Vice President in its 93 years, in the person of Mrs. Oluyemisi Alatise of the Inner Wheel Club of Lagos, District 991, Nigeria.

In this light, the National Governing Body of Inner Wheel Clubs in Nigeria has held a reception in her honour as International Inner Wheel Vice President 2015/2016.

She stated: “One of my dreams and what I want to propagate most is creating awareness that female genital mutilation is dangerous. Fortunately, recently the bill was passed by President Jonathan making female genital mutilation illegal, so we will go out and create awareness.

Mothers should not allow their husbands to mutilate their children, because it is the mothers that will hold the legs of their daughters to be circumcised. We are going to educate women to know that they can say ‘No’ and be supported by Law. They must not harm their children; they must not support their husbands or brothers to harm their children.

“My plan to raise awareness on the dangers of gender mutilation is lecture women, go out and visit women in market places, churches in the East, West, all over Nigeria, to let women know that female genital mutilation is an abuse on women and the child. It is wrong and has no significance other than to promote the selfishness of the Man, wanting to subdue the Woman and sadly they are supported by the women themselves, the mothers. We have to educate them to stop destroying their children.

She further disclosed that “It is agreed that gender mutilation is part of some cultures, we should educate mothers that it is medically harmful, most of these mutilations are poorly done and any woman that is badly mutilated is not able to give birth naturally, they have to go through caesarean section and before the operation became efficiently done there were a lot of deaths during child birth.

The belief that the child’s head must not touch the clitoris of the mother because it will bring bad luck is all a myth. The Ijebu’s do not circumcise yet their children are very successful, Ijebu people are very successful. They also say it is to keep women from being promiscuous, but it is a lie, circumcision or not who will be promiscuous will be promiscuous.

Alatise said; “I feel very excited and grateful to God because it is not all merits that are awarded. It has always been a passion for me to help any way that I think I can. In 1972 I got married, in 1978 my husband took me to a rotary meeting, I was invited to the Inner Wheel and I have not looked back ever since.

“I was presented to over 2500 delegates from 56 out of 103 member countries. 57 countries were represented in the congress. I feel very proud to be a black woman, a Nigerian, to have been presented to the delegates and I was received with a very loud applause.”

In gratitude, she expressed; “I am happy about how far I have come, I participated in many international conferences but I didn’t go alone. I want to thank all Inner Wheel members that joined me in this journey and all international trips. We carried the Nigerian flag for positive things. Part of the projects that brought us to the limelight were successful joint international projects.

We were very honest and we gave account to the last kobo. The reputation that Nigerians are thieves, we changed that because we rendered money to the last kobo. We kept straight books. I want to thank all members, collectively we did this job, I did not do it alone. We all contributed and I want to assure you that I will not let you down.”

The newly elected International Vice President counseled other women about her motivations and stated; “What kept me going was my love for giving service. I enjoy helping the less privileged. My point of fulfillment is to see smiles on the faces of the less privileged and people in general I am helping. Service does not necessarily mean money; a pat on the back for a job well done, a smile on the face of the down trodden, is service. If I am able to put a smile on somebody’s face, it gives me joy.

“I advise women to be committed in everything they do or you have passion for, do it with all honesty, are kind, and know that there is karma; what you sow, you reap.”