Wuraade Adekoya Foundation Donates To Orphanage To Celebrate Life Of Compassionate Late Youngster ..."She Exemplified, Love, Care, Passion"

 

The Nigerian children have been encouraged to exhibit the trait of love and care for one another and their environment.

This forms the objective of the newly established Wuraade Adekoya Foundation, which held it’s maiden programme on Monday.

The late Wuraade Adekoya died after successfully putting out a gas explosion that would have ended up consuming her environs if not stopped.

In her memory on what could have been her 21st birthday, her family members, friends and associates visited the Tripple Passion Home Initiative (orphanage) Magodo, Lagos to extend hands of charity to children with special needs.

They also visited the Trauma and Burns Centre, Gbagada, and LASUTH, where Wuraade was taken after the domestic fire incident before her unfortunate demise with gifts for patients.

Some of her course mates at the Mass Communication Department of the University of Lagos spoke eloquently about her brilliance, eloquence, sociable mien and friendliness.

Oluwapelumi Ogungbe, a colleague at school stated that: “Wuraade is a quite friendly person, no matter who you are, she would greet you.

“I remember that she was one of those I met the first time I gained admission. We both attended same Church before, which made us get a little closer. I could not believe that she was the one, when I first learned she died.

“It ought not to be her, she is still very young, I am even older than her and I am still here. We felt really sad about her demise, but we could not help it. There is none that can take her place, we will really miss her.

“She was accommodating and Jovial, that informed the establishment of the foundation. Her memory need be preserved. We had to show benevolence like she normally did, while alive.

Miss Adekola Tofunmi, her friend, said that, ” We are here today because of the love we have for her that brought us together.

“It is really sad that on her birthday this is the way we are celebrating her.

"She is the last person this kind of thing is meant to happen to and I am not just trying to sugar coat things, she died trying to safe people.

“I wish she wasn’t so brave, but at the same time, she died like the true Wuraade passion, a selfless person that she was and there is just so much love for Wuraade, this is so much a painful thing ever.

“Given her kind of person, she spread love and that is why we are giving love back to the people. It is basically meant to continue her legacy.”

Miss Abeni Adelaja a colleague of Wuraade, who was in tears all through the programme, noted that “She was a well behaved lady, who loved everyone. She was not the type that looks for trouble. Wuraade was a selfless person. She will be sorely missed.“

The visits were parts of the programmes lined up by The Wuraade Adekoya Foundation in commemoration of her posthumous birthday celebration on June 12, 2023.

Family members, relations, and friends of the late Wuraade from the University of Lagos and staffers of the Lagos State House of Assembly were on ground in solidarity with her parents.

One of the founders of the home, Mrs Adedoja Omikorede, a renowned specialist child care giver, who received the visiting team at the orphanage home facility in Magodo, appraised the operational modes of the home, while stating that the purpose of Wuraade’s death is fulfilled in the number of help that can go round to the less able ones.

“There is ability in disability, we are all created for a purpose so that people like you can show us compassion.

“Wuraade’s death has a purpose, part of which is being fulfilled here today,” Mrs Adedoja said.

Wuraade’s mother, Mrs. Bisola Branco- Adekoya, the Director of Public Affairs Unit of Lagos State House of Assembly, had fond memories of her loving daughter, whom she described as a passionate, bold and selfless personality, while inaugurating the foundation in her memory.

The group, cladded in branded white tops with The Wuraade Adekoya Foundation boldly written on it, also visited the community, where she grew up in Bariga, Lagos, to notify residents of her departure by staging a walk with her portrait.

Speaking about how the orphanage was chosen as the first port of call amongst others, Mrs. Adekoya noted that the maiden edition of the foundation was a way for her to fulfill her promise to the late Wuraade that she would celebrate her birthday, although she never expected it will be a posthumous one.

“Wuraade is an industrious young lady, full of love and compassion to all that met her while alive.

“This posthumous celebration of Wuraade was made possible by support from the Lagos State House of Assembly, contributions from family members, friends and her colleagues from the Mass Communication Department of the University of Lagos.

“We intend to keep this relationship, starting today, for many more years to come in memory of Wuraade.

“She fulfilled destiny because she touched lives, that I can say boldly even in her death.

“She was involved in NGO activities so we started a foundation for her, we gave out her costly medications to those that can’t afford it.

“Without our knowledge, she had often times, in agreement with her friends, contributed money to get items for indigent children in Makoko.

“That informed why this was our last port of call to reenact what she loved doing,” Adekoya said.

She however, narrated the essence of the foundation, while enjoining others to go out of their way to help change the society in their own little form, just like Wuraade did.

“The foundation is for people going through trauma, people in need one way or the other.

“For this foundation to stand, everybody here contributed. Whatever we will be giving you today is a token for this age has been neglected for too long.

“We want to pay attention to you, you have a future and you can actually do it. Your life can have a meaning if you affect other people’s lives positively.

“If you are the only one enjoying, you are not living, I tell you for free. So, this foundation has come to stay," Mrs Adekoya said.

Wuraade’s father, Mr. Michael Adekoya, in a short remark, noted that his daughter, given the impressive turn out, is being celebrated in a most memorable way.

He urged the children to covet the virtue of love and care, citing the fact that the society will be better for it.

The event, which centred majorly on the wellness of the girl child, featured amongst others, safety health tips and personal hygiene for girls, games and dancing competition.