Interview Series (Episode 10)

Make Your Existence Count - Ayobami

                      Ayobami Bolorunde

       (CEO Ayobami Bolorunde Foundation)

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Our creative guest this week is a versatile individual doing great in her own space. She is a humanitarian, a media enthusiast, keynote speaker for the youth amongst other things she does. Join me as I welcome Ayobami Bolorunde to the second episode of Chat With temidada.

Ayobami: Thank you, I am happy to be here.

Can you tell us about yourself?

Ayobami: My name is Ayobami Bolorunde, I am from Ogun state but I have lived most of my life in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. I am a graduate of Mass Communication, I am presently Serving in Jos, Plateau State. I am a communication enthusiast, a humanitarian, an event planner/ Manager/ PR expert, a hypeman and much more.

I am the CEO of a beautiful NGO which  is 2 years now.

Can we know the name of your NGO and what you do?

Ayobami: Ayobami Bolorunde foundation is an NGO centred around pushing young people to be the change they want to see Socially, environmentally, etc. This foundation is saddled with the responsibilities of building a better society around the world, establishing an avenue for young people to express themselves and their potentials, creating a platform for people to express their act of love, giving, and helping the less priviledged.

We deal with making the society around us become better. We are focused on mentorship, outreaches, development programs etc, Our structure is divided into two which are: Membership and Volunteer structures, so as to keep things in focus. 

Our motto is "NOW WE RISE", This means that we rise to the challenges of NOW fearlessly and encouraged to over come all through the help of God.

So what pushed you into starting the NGO?

Ayobami: While growing up I have always been someone who loves to give back from the little God has given me, someone who loves to help people, who is so interested in making the world a better place and who loves to keep things organised. So most times, I would join other NGOs and friends on outreaches and all kind of society programs. 

About rounding up the university I decided to establish something I would use as a platform for change and progress especially in Nigeria, so I ran the idea through my mentor Johnson Adekunle Adejumobi, and he motivated me and I decided to bring few of my friends who I know are driven in this direction and boom we did it.

Starting up, what were the challenges you encountered?

Ayobami: To run an NGO, funding is really important; it was challenging but with the help of my parents, family and dues from members of the NGO it has been moving well.

Also when I started, I was still in the university in the West, so working from school with such was challenging but I had a few hardworking members working with me. The admission of avaliable members was not also easy beacuse there were many interested, but time and all other things were barriers, but we managed to handle the structure well. Those were the main challenges I encountered starting.

So how will you describe being a young creative starting out such NGO in Nigeria.

How did people see you when you were starting out?

Ayobami: It was really challenging I will say. People  around me were like this small girl how do you want do it? It is not so easy and so on, NGO is expensive to run, how do you want to do it and all other comments that could deter you, but my parents, siblings, mentors with a few friends were really supportive, they kept on encouraging me, and I was determined because I was convinced it was an assignment God has given to me and I just wanted to bring it to reality, and He has been blessing and helping me since then.

Since you started, what are the projects you have carried out?

Ayobami: An environmental cleanup from the stadium roundabout to Sudan crescent junction Kaduna state on the 22nd of October 2018, which was tagged ‘STREET CLEAN OUT’.

But environmental projects mostly and recently as the CEO of the NGO I celebrated my birthday this year at a children home here in Jos.

Are there other projects coming up soon?

Ayobami: Yes sure, we have great projects lined up for this year but due to this pandemic we would try to execute the ones we can after the whole pandemic. But we sure do; the change never stops so the projects.

In carrying out these projects, how do you feel when reaching out to people?

Ayobami: Whenever I have the opportunity to reach out to people through my foundation, I do feel fulfilled because I know I am fulfilling my calling. I know I am fulfilling a purpose, I am always happy.  It is always an uncontrollable feeling of joy, the feeling is indescribable. 

What areas do you think NGOs in Nigeria need to work on?

Ayobami: More Truthfulness and transparency with their activities and dealings. NGOs need to avoid being puppet for top people in high places; our priority is giving back to the people at grassroots and not working for people at the top. 

I will say we need more collaborations with each other; together we can do a lot of things. 

How do you handle finance as regards your projects, because we know many NGOs collect money from sponsors and fail to do what they promised?

Ayobami: I don’t really have many sponsors right now just my friends that helps out from time to time and personal savings.

We have a financial secretary who opened a new account specifically for the NGO, though we couldn’t use the foundation’s name because we are not registered yet but we opened it in an individual’s name. So he oversees the payment of dues, he audits the account every month and gives us feedback on our financial status and that has been moving fine. He is one of my best guys in the NGO, very accountable.

So as regards the sponsorship, why are there no sponsors yet?

Ayobami: There are a few reasons for that:

Firstly, I haven’t really pushed for this but there is work in progress for us to have sponsors, we are working hard on that, because we know we need to reach out to more people and we need all the support we can get.

Secondly, more sponsors will be interested when we are registered and this we are doing pretty soon. The NGO is on the path of being registered soon, we are putting pen to paper to get this done as soon as possible.

So where do you see your NGO in the next 5 years?

Ayobami: I see the NGO in a  Big, Global, Fulfilled space soon, extraordinarily known for the best things and to have touched a lot of lives.

What is your advice to young Nigerians looking into touching lives through any means?

Ayobami: Just do it, It is a beautiful thing, keep doing it, make your existence count, be the change you want to see, surround yourself with like minded people who have the same vison as yours, and above all, put your trust in God.

It is nice having you on the show today, keep doing your great work, we are proud of what you are doing. Hoping to have you here again in the nearest future.

Ayobami: Thank you so much, I love and enjoyed being on the show today. Keep doing you.

Tip: Always know that you do not need to have abundance before you can touch lives, the little in your hands is what someone is waiting for. Reach out to those you can today, and be the change you want to see.

You can follow the works of our guest on Instagram @ayobamibolorunde_foundation