How teen philanthropist raised N.1m for slum school

People with large hearts are known for charitable giving to impact the lives of people around them positively. In fact, the benefits of philanthropy to the socio-economic development of countries, including Nigeria, cannot be overemphasised. In Nigeria, people like TY Danjuma, Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, Jim Ovia, Mohammed Indimi and Femi Otedola have continued to […]

People with large hearts are known for charitable giving to impact the lives of people around them positively. In fact, the benefits of philanthropy to the socio-economic development of countries, including Nigeria, cannot be overemphasised.

In Nigeria, people like TY Danjuma, Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, Jim Ovia, Mohammed Indimi and Femi Otedola have continued to extend their goodwills to their fellow human beings through their foundations.

It is uncommon to see a teenager save up his pocket money or engage in some menial jobs like picking and selling of plastic waste in order to donate to the less privileged.

Fifteen-year-old Aderolayo Olowodola, an SS1 student of Corona Secondary School, Agbara in Ogun State, recently donated N100,000 to Morit International School, Lagos.

Morit School, located on Iyalode Street at Ajegunle, a densely populated area in Lagos, accepts plastic waste such as bottles from parents and guardians in exchange for payment of their children’s school fees.

The school adopted the Recycle Pay Education Project of African Clean-Up Initiative (ACI) to lessen the burden on parents who cannot afford to pay school fees; which means that no parent has reason not to send their children to school since a simple task of picking and taking plastic waste to school pays the fees.

Having got information about Morit International School on social media and knowing that its vision of paying school fees with plastic waste aligns with his initiative, Olowodola keyed into it, which led to the donation.

Olowodola’s “Can Can Project” was established in 2019 when his school encouraged students to partake in community service projects.

He explained that Can Can was borne out of the idea of scavengers searching bins for valuable items to sell, hence he also decided to collect biodegradable items to sell and give back to communities by helping the less privileged.

Explaining how it works, the young philanthropist said he collected empty bottles, cans, tins, among others, and sold them to recyclers who bought a tonne for N20,000, and that it took him about six months to raise N100,000 from about five tonnes of plastic waste, and added that family members also donated their bits when they understood the initiative.

The donation to Morit School was not Olowodola’s first act of generosity as he had donated a podium to his primary school after his graduation. Also, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his sister donated 150 x 75ml hand sanitisers to their school community.

On how he came about giving, he said, “Charity begins at home. My parents and grandparents are givers who have touched many lives. They are my greatest supporters in philanthropy, and they encourage me to always better the lot of my neighbours.”

He, therefore, urged Lagosians to imbibe the habit of recycling waste.