Foluke Ademokun has over three decades of expertise in civil society work, humanitarian endeavours, social entrepreneurship, gender advocacy, and policy development. She is the Executive Coordinator of Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation (AAAF). In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, she speaks about her work with the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria.
When and how did your career in humanitarian endeavours begin, and how would you describe the journey so far?
My journey into the humanitarian and developmental space began after I graduated from the university. I got involved with a group called the African Women Empowerment Guild (AWEG). I was introduced to the NGO cycle by Dr Mrs Nosa Aladeselu, who founded AWEG. I volunteered for the group as the secretary. My forte has always been in capacity development, in providing opportunities for the empowerment of women and girls within the culture and gender constructs, and helping them understand the importance of agency, and how to overcome stereotypes, stigmatisation, and bias ─ conscious or unconscious. I also got more involved in social and environmental impact analysis, and in inclusion activities, particularly in decision-making.
You are the Executive Coordinator of the Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation (AAAF). Who was Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi? What is the experience like working there?
Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi was a woman who dedicated her life to the service of vulnerable persons. She went out of her way to take care of orphans and people who do not have the ability to feed themselves or go to school. She had a big heart. After her death, her children honoured her memory by instituting a foundation in her name to perpetuate her legacy and sustain that vision of caring for people in need.
I joined the foundation as the Executive Coordinator sometime around 2016, when they needed management expertise. One of Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi’s children reached out to someone that I know, and after some conversations and interviews, I was appointed to the management of the foundation. So far, despite the challenges and work we are doing to help vulnerable people in society, the experience has been good and rewarding.
What categories of people does the foundation cater for, and in what ways does it cater for them?
Women and children are most disadvantaged, socially and economically. We do not know how to quantify the work of women in the home and society, and how to pay them well for it. So, the foundation’s primary targets are vulnerable children and women, specifically widows. Because of their vulnerability, they require welfare and humanitarian support, particularly from the religious and cultural standpoint. Society believes that humanitarian or welfare services are all that are needed when dealing with children and widows, but most of the time, education and enlightenment are important to their development.
We are not just humanitarians, we are into development, and that is the only way we can have sustainability. In the work we do, I believe that civil society and government should be able to partner and make life better for the vulnerable and the poor in society.
What are the recent programmes that women and widows have benefited from the foundation?
We are into the promotion of the rights of women and widows, and also the provision of the knowledge and information they need to make the right decisions about their lives. That is the beauty of our work — when people, especially women, get the opportunity to take responsibility and charge of their lives. And, from time to time, we provide skill programmes and grants to micro and local enterprises owned by women to support their endeavours. We have assisted in paying the tuition fees of the children of many women who cannot afford to send their children to school. We also find some form of employment and empowerment for widows to be able to fend for themselves.
Furthermore, we have contributed to policies around women’s rights and development, not just at the national level, but also at the international level. We have hosted events on the occasion of the United Nations International Widows Day, worked with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, and other notable organisations on behalf of women and widows in Nigeria.
How do you measure the long-term effect of these programmes after their completion?
In terms of measurement, reporting is critical to what we do. We have a work plan, and we test the relevance of our work. Testimonies from our beneficiaries, which can be seen in some of our videos on YouTube, are one way we know we are doing well. Whatever support we have provided to people, we are able to measure their impact and relevance, and even their multiplier effects. Sometimes, we go to a community we have worked on, and from the response and feedback, we are able to measure whether the programme was impactful. The feedback could be through storytelling. These are some of the things we intended to publish to demonstrate the impact we have made in the course of our work.
What are the most recent programmes that children have benefited from the foundation?
Our work and programmes have provided many opportunities for children to be in school and participate in many educational activities, even beyond the walls of the classroom. We have paid tuition fees and provided infrastructure to schools. For 10 years now, we have been sponsoring our national essay writing competition. The essay competition is open to senior secondary school students across Nigeria. Through the essay competition, we engage students in topical issues. We are trying to help them to exercise agency, to know that they are also part of society and their contributions matter, knowing that one day they are going to be leaders.
Winners of the essay competition are given prizes, such as laptop computers and other gift items. Some gadgets, like projectors and other items, are also given to the schools from which the winner emerged.
We also provide educational items to schools, like desks, whiteboards, and photocopiers. We have also gotten involved in the issue of period poverty, providing sanitary items to girls. We have trained some schools and teachers on how to produce reusable sanitary pads.
How do NGOs like AAAF partner with the private sector or government to make life meaningful for poor and marginalised people in society?
The way our philanthropy is run is that we not only look inwards, but also outwards. We do not have the full structure or resources to help us take care of vulnerable children and women as much as we would love to. The journey is quite challenging. Hopefully, someday, we will be able to build a formal structure that would help other organisations, government agencies, and ministries to key in and support the kind of work we do.
That said, we have worked and partnered with a local government to set up a primary healthcare facility to take care of the health needs of people. NGOs, such as ours, should seek and leverage the assistance of other organisations to help those in need. They should conduct their affairs responsibly in a manner that is dignifying and befitting.
Are AAAF projects restricted to a particular state or region in the country?
We have grown from being a local NGO to a more national status and outlook. Now, we have offices outside of Lagos. We have three offices in Nigeria, and they are in Lagos; Zaria, Kaduna; and Umuahia, Abia State. We also have a satellite office in Abuja. These offices help us take care of the regional needs of Nigerians. Our developmental programmes are expanding. Our projects are open to the vulnerable in any part of Nigeria. We have given scholarships to students in Abuja, Kaduna, Abia, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, and Oyo states, among others.
We also have executed programmes around teenage pregnancy in the southeast. We have done training on tailoring, makeup, and knitting in the southeast too. We have a vocational skills centre in the north. We have organised public health and medical outreaches in different parts of Nigeria. We are sinking boreholes from one region to another, where we see the need, and as long as we have the resources. As far as it is practicable, we try to touch the most vulnerable people across Nigeria.
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What kind of policies or laws would you recommend to Nigerian lawmakers that would protect the rights and ensure justice for the kind of people your foundation caters for?
Social protection policy and legal reforms promoting widows’ rights should target economic empowerment and affordable housing as well as free or highly discounted medical care for widows and their households. I recommend a Widow’s Fund to cater for the economic, health, and legal priorities of widows. Aside from setting up a Widow’s Fund to provide access to interest-free credits for widows, the funds should also accommodate the need for widows’ psychosocial support and legal services.
What are the major challenges the foundation faces, and what kind of assistance do you think it needs to function optimally?
As a nonprofit, the foundation needs the support of relevant stakeholders to generate funds for its work and projects, which are rendered free. We also need individuals and organisations to volunteer their time or offer pro bono services for technical, professional, medical, financial, legal, and technology, particularly social media services. Due to entrenched discriminatory practices against widows, investment in advocacy is a key to changing practices, attitudes, and behaviour that have contributed to biases against widows over time.
So, we are looking forward to collaborating with organisations interested in presenting a women-specific agenda before the legislative and executive arms of government for legislative and policy reforms.
What is your advice to the government and the general public regarding the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria?
The earlier they get involved in what is happening in society ─ in the deliberations, policies, and programmes of government and non-government organisations, regarding vulnerable people, the better for all of us. We should support and empower the poor with life and problem-solving skills so that they can see how to help themselves and the country.
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