An Open Letter to Chief S.D. Lar, former Governor of Plateau State

Dear Chief S.D. Lar,

Baba, we are saying, "Thank you."

We, the Women of Hope, are profoundly grateful for the audience you granted us today.

For three weeks we have been praying for our visit to you. Today it was finally possible as you are a very busy man. We thank you for the gracious reception both you and Mama gave to our women. I have always heard that you are a 'man of the people' and today you lived that out.

Thank you for your personal concern for widows, orphans and others affected by AIDS. We didn't ask you for a handout today; we asked you for a space for our women to sell their wares. A handout will only last for a short time, but the gift you gave us will live on for decades. Women will feed their families; children will enjoy the love of their mothers for more years; parents will send their children to school; a sense of dignity and hope will be restored to lives once shattered by HIV.

Thank you for welcoming us to use a space outside your compound to sell the products made by women infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. We pray that our presence in that place will only be a blessing to you.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Mary Beth Oyebade
for The Women of Hope