FUNMILAYO WAHEED: I dropped out of medical school due to poverty - Enjoy this Awesome Report
By Josephine Agbonkhese
To Funmilayo Adejoko-Waheed, an engineer, ‘money is good, but useless when not used to add value to people’s lives.’ The name of the Founder of Funmilayo Ayinke Humanity Foundation has literally become synonymous with ‘giving’ in Ogun State. A former lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Adejoko-Waheed cheerfully spends hundreds of millions giving to the poor, widows and vulnerable children of widows and single parents every year. Over the years, she has empowered over 10,000 women and sponsored over 500 undergraduates in university; all of whom today, fondly call her ‘mummy’. In this chat, Adejoko-Waheed, who is Executive Director, Funmi Ayinke Limited, a firm with multiple interests including engineering, reveals why she is committed to helping people out of poverty.
Do you have your eyes on politics or have you been confronted by people about having political ambition?
I am only doing what God has put in my heart. Last December, some women came to urge me to go contest for a political office, assuring me of their support. I laughed it off. That has never crossed my mind. I am not from Ogun and majority of the beneficiaries of my philanthropic works are in Ogun State.
How do you finance the giving you carry out each year?
It is God’s doing. Don’t forget I am an engineer, apart from being an academic. Nearly everything that comes in from work is channelled into the philanthropic activities.
Does this have something to do with your growing up?
My mother single-handedly raised us. We lost our father at a tender age and our mother was a teacher. So you can only imagine what it felt like raising three children. I had to drop out of medical school because we could not afford the money to buy books and other things needed. I lost two years in the process.
Taking that decision was not easy for me and my mother. The day I informed my mother, I cried uncontrollably; my mother too. But I made up my mind that I would do my best and ensure that even as a professional engineer, I was successful. I also decided, deep within me, that as long as I live, I will help others and ensure that no child has to go through what I went through.
How easy was the transition from medicine to engineering?
It was tough but God gave me a guardian angel that saw me through. My knowledge of mathematical engineering was down since I was no longer taking courses in mathematics as a medical student. But He (God) directed me to lecturers who helped. I ended up coming out with a 2:1 in mechanical engineering. My guardian angel then ended up as my husband. Believe me, he was God-sent. If not for him, I wonder how I would have ended up. He has been my pillar of support in everything.
You operate in a male-dominated terrain as an engineer; do you often feel any form of discrimination from male colleagues?
No, not at all. They (male colleagues) rather encourage us; they see us as their little sisters and are so helpful. That’s why you see women aspiring to positions of leadership in the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, and others. They want the women to step out and lead while they stay in the background. They are always there for us.
Back to your passion for philanthropy; at what point did you start devoting your resources to helping the needy?
I started helping those affected by poverty a long time ago; as early as when I was still an undergraduate and was still struggling to pay fees. I recall one instance. While at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, struggling to pay school fees, there was this woman whose daughter dropped out of school because of a very little amount of money. I paid up that money and friends were wondering why I would do so when I was struggling to pay my own school fees.
But that is me. I recall another instance. I had this friend whose room was opposite mine. I had paid school fees and it was few days to examination. She approached me, and said: “Funmi, there is trouble. Exams are here and I am yet to pay school fees.” I had some money; at least enough to feed myself for the remaining days in school. Well, it so happened that that same amount was also enough to pay her school fees.
Of course, we paid the fees and had to live on gari all through the examination. We did it with joy. That was the type of life that I lived when I was in school. So after school, you could have imagined what I felt like when I had more than enough to help others.
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So how much has helping the less-privileged cost you since the debut of your foundation?
It is difficult to estimate but I think it will be close to half a billion naira. You can see how we operate. We don’t limit ourselves to once in a year activities or school period activities. A lady needed baby things, she contacted me, I verified the need and sent N150,000 to her, she sent the proof of receipt to our WhatsApp group, everyone’s happy and life goes on.
Others have special needs, they raise them and we take care of the needs. These are apart from school fees and needs. Don’t forget, the people I am talking about here are children of single parents or widows who cannot afford to make ends meet. The tears of joy in their faces and the way they express themselves inspire me to do more.
Only last December, we were able to touch the lives of widows again in Abeokuta, Ogun State. We gave a lot of grinding machines and other things to empower them. For some who needed cash, we also provided cash. We ended up giving everyone cash, one way or the other; bags of rice were also shared. We touched over four thousand lives. Yearly, we do this. Many still continued to come after what we did at the Palace of the Olowu of Owu in Ogun State and we have been helping them. We will continue to.
…a few words to the general public on standing up for the less-privileged?
I want to call on other well-meaning aristocrats and influencers across the globe to join in the good course, while I also encourage those who are heartily disturbed about humanity to facilitate a “Global Zero Hunger Project” with our foundation. We are open to partnership at all levels from relevant stakeholders; be it individuals, cooperate organisations or even the government, provided it is for a good cause and is people-oriented.
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