By Emmanuel Daraloye
“You are the one that needs help not them”, these were the exact words of one of Eniola’s friends on a cloudy day in 2017 when he informed them about his desire to launch a foundation to cater to to children and others less privileged in the poverty-stricken ghetto of Ajegunle in Lagos State.
The story surrounding the launching of One Day Foundation is unpalatable. The founder was not in the best frame of mind, and neither was in a conducive environment. Weeks before this, his attempted trip to Turkey to explore the European league as a young aspiring footballer was dashed when he got to the embassy, as their visa fees were increased by about 70,000 Nigerian nairas.
All his effort to get this money remains abortive as none of the people he called was able to help or lend him the money. A dejected Eniola Kayode returned back to his base. Not even a base in the real sense. It was a church in Ajegunle. This was a church he lived in for about three years before the European opportunity came forth. Now, the opportunity has closed. He had to start from the beginning.
You wonder if this was a period to start a foundation. Would any right-thinking man feel Ted to help anyone? His birthday was on the way, and Eniola decided to start this organization and stop celebrating his birthday from that day, his first donation was a sum of one thousand nairas, this was proceeds he got from the flour mill factory where he was at the time.
Seven years later, the foundation has moved from strength to strength. It has donated provisions and other stuff to Orphanage houses around Lagos State (Lagos Chelsire Home, Lagos SOS Home, Towers of Refuge and Motherless Orphanage Baby Home), Abuja (Amazing Tots Orphanage Home), Bangladesh, Ukraine, and most recently Akure and Ondo City, both in Ondo State and also St. Joseph orphanage home in Owerri, Imo state.
The journey through the last seven years has been an effortless contribution to humanity with One Day Foundation helping the needy across three continents. This year’s edition was held between Nigeria and Germany. Overcomer Orphanage Home, Ondo City, St. Joseph orphanage home, Owerri, Graceland orphanage home, Akure, and Hope at last orphanage, Lagos, were the recipients of the foundation’s goodwill.
Provisions and essentials were sent to the four Orphanage homes: tea, milk, pampers, egg, rice, etc. The people at the Orphanage home were all poverty-stricken One Day Foundation for its good gesture.
While One Day Foundation takes care of the children, the elderly are not left out as they are given a monthly stipend. This other gesture has been going on since Eniola Kayode relocated to Ukraine a few years ago, but due to the war, he moved to Germany.
The founder has vowed to do more as the year goes on. One Day Foundation’s contribution might be little in terms of the nation’s poverty-stricken populace, yet, you can’t but commend the founder and the people at the helm of affairs for even doing something, for the betterment of the nation. It can only get better.
Emmanuel Daraloye writes from Ibadan, Oyo State.
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