Malta Guinness has supported a group, the Center for Indigenous Knowledge, Development and Sustainability (CIKDAS), to promote an event on positive cultural values.
The one-day event, titled “Indigenous Women As A Catalyst for Good Governance”, was held in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
CIKDAS, which has been hosting the events for more than one decade, is at the forefront of reviving cultural heritages with the sole focus on moral values.
Doing this, the group believed, is the best way in solving many problems confronting the society.
Project Director, CIKDAS, Princess Jumoke Owoola, stated in a statement that the need to constantly reawaken the interest of the masses in cultural values and ensure compliance gave birth to the event.
“Our culture is dying here at home, but foreigners in developed countries are tapping into the positive aspects of our culture and making use of it for their own developmental goals. We need to brazen up,” she said.
Owoola further said the theme of the event was targeted at women in order to make it more acceptable, as well as having more positive impacts, starting from the home-front, to the larger populace.
“Women have a grip on the populace. They have dominance in the house. They have dominance on the society too.
“Even where men calls the shots, women have a way of making positive impacts felt. They are multi-tasking naturally and this they can do without complaints.
“We know that when a woman is coming to such an event, men and children will be invited along. And where men are not coming along, they will still ask about the outcome of the event upon getting home.
“And this method has greatly made the event a sought-after. In fact, participants were begging us to come again.
“The believe is that cultural revival will surely restore normalcy in our society, be it kidnapping issue, rape, violence, cultural norms, up to organic or indigenous foods which can aid our health and body systems,” Owoola said.
One of the participants at the event, Christianah Afe, called on government both at all levels to make the issue of cultural values revival a must in schools.
“This”, she said, “will allow positive norms to be in the veins of the youngsters in order to grow with it.
“It can never be too much. Constant reminder will pave way for better results,” Afe enthused.
Odunola Odunayo, a JSS1 student, said that cultural values revival must start from the cradle.
“This must start from the way we greet, the way we show respect to elders both at home and in schools and also the way we reason among our peers.
“Religion and beliefs might be different, the ability to learn how to tolerate each other matters, irrespective of ones tribe or nationality, must reflect our values,” he said.
Another participant, Mr Adubiaran James, said the need to tolerate each other was the order of the day in the country decades ago.
He added that he has been supporting every programmes aimed at promoting cultural values awareness at any fora, anywhere.
“We are one. Same blood flows in our veins. Stability will make the country to develop faster. It will make societal ills be reduced in our society,” he said added.
Malta Guinness, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), has been supporting CIKDAS in the areas of community development, cultural, revival, teachers’ advancement and positive awareness drives targeted at rebuilding the society.
