The Origami Society Nigeria has concluded its fellowship programme meant to equip professionals and students with the skills to utilise origami art for wellness, improve educational outcomes, and be key agents for social good.
The founder of the society, Oluwatobi Sodimu, made this known in Lagos on Sunday during the events that marked the end of the second edition of the fellowship programme and the inauguration of their new members.
Sodimu noted that the application for the just-concluded fellowship began last November with over 88 applicants, but only 19 of them were successful. He further noted that the programme was a 12-week activity of virtual workshops and physical engagements.
He thanked their partners and trainers from Israel, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Japan, South Africa, and Nigeria for teaching and empowering the fellows.
“I implored our new cohorts to continue to utilise the origami art in their fields of life and also to be proud ambassadors of the Origami Society everywhere they go,” he said.
At the virtual closing ceremony of the event, the founder of Expressive Origami Therapy, Toshiko Kobayashi, delivered the keynote address. Kobayashi encouraged the cohorts to “shine you lights having been equipped by the best hands to improve your communities with origami arts.”
The valedictorian of the cohorts was Dr. Olufunmilayo Olokodana-Adesalu. She encouraged her co-graduands to ensure that more people come to “harness the origami art in your fields and use it to improve lives in your communities.
At the conclusion of the fellowship, the cohorts were split into two groups and deployed in Lagos and Ogun states – the Modupe Cole Home School, Yaba, Lagos, and the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun – to execute and showcase what they had been taught through their Fold-and-Heal project.
The beneficiaries at the Modupe Cole Home School were children living with cerebral palsy, autism, and down syndrome, with over 50 children and their caregivers introduced to origami arts through the project they themed: ‘Joy from paper.
“The goal of the project was to inspire artistic expression, build self-esteem, and engage the children in productive engagement,” Sodimu said.
The second group at the FMC, Abeokuta, worked with over 150 patients and their caregivers at the out-patient and pediatric wards through a project they themed: ‘Redemption for the despairing − origami solution’.
“The emphasis was on improving the hospitalisation experience for both the caregivers and the patients,” Sodimu said.
According to Sodimu, the Fold-and-Heal project took inspiration from the Origami Pulse in the United Kingdom ‘Made with gloves’, which seeks to improve hospital experience for patients, caregivers, and health workers within the hospital space, as well as inspire hope in people going through challenges.
Sodimu noted that the one thousand copies of the origami leaflets produced in the course of the project were produced with the support of the Kunle Adewale Day (KAD) Fund for Social Impact.
Some of the fellowship cohorts and caregivers spoke about their experience and work with the Origami Society. They included, but not limited to: Dr Vivian (medical practitioner, FMC), Blessing Ugen (Fellow), Oyindamola Fakeye (Fellow), Mr Israel (caregiver, Modupe Cole Home School), and Mrs Grace (caregiver, Modupe Cole Home School).
They agreed that the origami art project taught them to be patient, focused, calculative, creative, and empathic. They were glad the project created joy and happiness, and caused the children to feel proud and fulfilled.
They enjoined the Origami Society and their partners to visit once a month so that the children can master the origami arts more.
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