PLEASE DONATE TO HELP SEYI AND HER CHILDREN

"In the photographs is Seyi Oluyole, and she is surrounded by her children. No, she did not physically birth them, but we all know that a biological connection is not the only route to parenting.

Seyi is twenty-four years old and lives with her parents in Ikorodu, Lagos. She studied Human Resource Management at the University of Bellevue, in the United States. She currently works in Nigeria as a screen-writer, which is how I met her.

Seyi takes ‘street kids’ under her wings, with the permission of their families. She then nurtures them via dance, and mentorship. I have been in awe of her since I found out what she does with and for these children, whom she fondly refers to as ‘my kids’.

Miss Oluyole’s organization is called ‘Dream Catcher’ and it is a very apt name, which succinctly covers the beautiful work she does with her children. She helps them to realize that they can dream, and then teaches them to actualize their dreams via education. Everything she does for them is with her own money. Maybe she receives donations now and again, but I am constantly amazed at how she channels her salary to doing all that she does for the number of children that depend on her. Seyi blows my mind.

She is an unsung hero and today, I am not only singing about her, but I am also making her sing about herself and her children.

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Please read her, in her own words:

“When I met most of my children, they were not in school and they didn’t care about school. The ones who were in school could not even really read. To get their attention, I started Saturday dance classes and they got really interested especially because I was able to get them to perform at events.

Then I sold the idea of school to them and told them that if they wanted to remain part of the dance team, they had to take their studies seriously.

The dancing helped to boost the self-esteems of all my children. They had been told that they could become ‘nothing’, but then they realized that people existed who were really interested in watching them do something as amazing as dance. It definitely helped them.

I spend the weekends with all my children but during the week I have five of them stay with me at my parents’ home. I provide their feeding, shelter, clothing, and pay their way through school. I help with reading and homework and I applaud their successes no matter how small, so that they can develop the zeal and confidence to do better.

We have regular dance rehearsals and we attend as many events as I can get us into. Anyone who is slacking in school is excused from rehearsals, so everyone tries to take their schoolwork seriously.

Everyone is supposed to read a chapter of a book a week. The book reading is quite difficult because very few can read properly. And fewer can comprehend when they read. So we take on these tasks piecemeal.

At the end of every week, we try to talk about what happened during the entire week. I then give them pep talks, teaching them about having the right values and working hard to get what you need and want. Some nights we also talk about good food and what it would be like to have certain fancy meals.

In our home, house chores are not designated according to gender. Respect is also very important. Everyone learns to keep their hands to themselves, respecting one another’s personal boundaries as much as possible within the space we live in.

I want to see this children experience progress. We don't get to choose our parents and they have not chosen this life. I hope to give them a choice for a better life. Prior to working with them, they did not know what a university was. Majority had never seen a university building. I want them to see and know there is life outside the little apartments they live in. I just want them to have that chance at greatness, success and endless possibilities.”

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The next level has come for Seyi and her children. She is in the process of moving them to a bigger and better space. It is in the same Ikorodu because rent and school fees are relatively more affordable in that part of town.

In their new home, the children will not have to sleep in one room and alternate between beds and mats weekly as they used to do.

To this end, Seyi is looking to get some items that will make life more comfortable for them. She is able to accomplish a few things on her own, but after paying her rent and making provision for the children’s personal expenses, she has hit a roadblock. She needs support.

She wrote to me personally and I promised to lend a helping hand. I however thought that apart from publicly acknowledging and applauding the wonderful work she’s doing which I believe should be celebrated, it would be nice to get positive involvement from anyone on my timeline who is interested and able to give this support.

Below is the list of items Seyi needs right now.

Mattress/Bed/ Pillow
Fans x 3
Fridge
Pots/pans
Curtains
Table
Iron
Toaster
Microwave
Blender"

As written by Nkiru Njoku

PLEASE CONTACT SEYI AT 184, AWOLOWO WAY, ITAMAGA IKORODU Number 08185251889

Thank you