I envisage better society — Fadekemi Adeleye
By What was the motivation behind the establishment of BAF?
My passion for helping people in need motivated me. Also, the rate at which people suffer and die in silence drew my attention to the need for the establishment of BAF. I grew up seeing all these.
Did your background or experience at any point in your life have anything to do with the creation of the NGO?
I have always known, right from young age, that givers never lack. Making people happy and being a shoulder to lean on is good. So, seeing happiness in people is my happiness. I am not rich, but with the little I have, I share and encourage people to show love. It does not have to be material things. Saying ‘hello, are you okay?’ is just enough for some people. It could lift burden off a troubled heart.
How old is the organisation and what has been the experience so far?
It is just a year. The experience has been awesome, because I have been able to touch lives in my own little way. That is not limited to empowering some of the members of the Foundation in order to make ends meet. We visited the orphanage at Abule Egba area in Lagos State, local schools at Ota in Ogun State and gave all the children school uniforms, stationeries, school shoes, and school bags.
We also support widows, single-parents and the less-privileged at Ota. Our next outreach will be in Okemesi, Ekiti State in March 2019. We will be visiting a local school at Okemesi. Our aim is to share food and material things to over 1,000 widows, single-parents and the less-privileged, irrespective of their religions. Service to humanity is the best. Without BAF members, there is no BAF.
They have been so supportive, and I appreciate them.
What are the challenges you face in the course of your humanitarian activities?
The challenges include having to go the extra mile to convince people to be givers and not grabbers. There is low level of commitment from members, but, the most important challenge is finance.
Also,moving around to villages is very challenging, because of transportation. But we are planning to get a bus to make movement easy and to cover more places.
What categories of the underprivileged in the society do you focus on?
Our focus is on women, single-parents, widows, men and children in need.
Are you satisfied with your services so far?
To the glory of God, I’m satisfied because many lives have been positively touched through this foundation.Orphans, motherless babies, local school children are also not left out.
Are your activities limited to Nigeria?
We are not limited to Nigeria. We support anyone in need genuinely.
What keeps your NGO going?
Selflessness and God’s grace.
What do you hope to see in the next 10 years in relation to the impacts of your NGO?
I envisage a better society where people can be their brother’s keeper and help with every little thing they have and make the world a better place for all.
What advice do you have for the African woman and the girl-child?
The advice I have for women is that they shouldn’t be a liability.
They should lay their hands on something that is beneficial to them and society. Also, they should be responsible in all ramifications. As for girls, they should always be ready to learn for a better future.
If you build a woman, definitely, you are building a nation.
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