Mrs Oluyinka Adewoye, a graduate of the Olabisi Onabanjo University with a B.sc Honours degree in Industrial Chemistry is a certified business development and human resources consultant with over 17 years of experience and is currently the Director of Sales, Partnership and client relations in a dynamic HR tech company, Blakskill Limited. Her passion for helping the less privileged made her to establish in 2019, the Lawrence Grace Foundation which caters to widows and indigent school children who are residents in deprived communities. Her passion for fashion and style is also the reason for her Star Vibes Clothiers (SVC), which deals with corporate clothing and well as styling and wardrobe management for classy women. She told ROTIMI IGE, in this interview, what makes her tick.
You are a human resources consultant. Tell us what that means to you and how you utilise your profession to touch lives.
Being an HR consultant helps you to manage people effectively, empathise and be able to allocate human capital effectively in every field of life, not only in the workplace. And so, with the profession, I am able to deduce what is important to people and affect them where it matters most. Empathy is a major factor that comes into play here.
What motivates you?
To start with, God is my inspiration. Striving to do his will and listen to his guidance is key for me. Also, I am motivated by excellence. I look for how to be outstanding in anything I do.I don’t like to be mediocre. I strive to be a better version of myself daily. That is important.
Ultimately, knowing that I am able to put smiles on the faces of people and touch them positively is the greatest motivation. We would not be remembered for the material possessions we are able to get,but by how many lives we are able to impact positively…That keeps me going daily.
Having worked in the corporate sector for about two decades, what challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
There are several challenges when you work in the corporate environment. One of them is knowing how to manage your boss, your colleagues and subordinates. It is a major factor to consider especially as one goes up the ladder in the corporate environment. Wisdom is the principal thing that helps to navigate through this, and being able to manage people effectively to achieve positive result and a set goal.
You also own an NGO, the Lawrence Grace Foundation. What necessitated that?
Lawrence Grace Foundation (LGF) started five years ago out of a burning desire and passion to be a blessing to people and helping to alleviate the sufferings in community, especially in the lives of widows and indigent school children who are classified as being very vulnerable in the society. I always felt people can have a better chance in life if only they get support, which necessarily may not be from the government. That’s how the foundation come to birth.
What impact has the foundation made so far?
We have empowered over 2,500 widows and over 2,300 schoolchildren in the last five years. We conduct free health consultations and give free medication, we also give health talks and more importantly, empower the widows with vocational trainings to teach them how to have a source of living. Our training has made some of them to start their petty trading to support their families. We also give food materials and other important items needed by these people. We have children that the Foundation has taken up from like three years ago for the payment of their school fees.
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It has indeed been a journey touching lives positivity in the last five years of our existence as a Foundation.
If you had the opportunity to be in a position of power in governance, what will be your focus and why?
I would want to do more in the areas of education and empowerment of our youths and widows. There are thousands of schoolchildren that need career guidance counselling from peer pressure and decadence. Above all, they need quality education. The youths are the future of a nation and if their foundation is destroyed, it would affect the future.
Also, I would want to ensure we have more vocational and health centres in various deprived communities with adequate personnel and facilities. We realise that many people need medical consultation, which is very expensive and difficult for them to access currently. Some focus on that would help to reduce the mortality rate and sufferings of the less privileged and in fact every citizen of the country. It is often said that ‘Health is wealth ‘.
You are also into fashion. Tell us about that.
Yes. I operate Star Vibes Clothiers. This focuses on giving corporate ladies lovely outfits. I also style women for classy outfits that fits their events and occasions. Looking good is great so I am particular about bringing out the beauty in ladies through their dressing and outlook.
What fashion accessories can’t you do without on a normal day and why?
My handbag. For me, a handbag for a lady completes and compliments the dressing. It brings out a subtle classy statement in a lady and gives you a regal and elegant look.
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