Serving humanity is what i know best, by Olasanya

Oluwemimo Olasanya is the recently inaugurated chairman of the Inner Wheel Club, District 911, Lagos. Speaking with TOBI AWODIPE, she talked about her position as president among other issues.

Can we meet you?
My name is Inner Wheel Member (IWM) Oluwemimo Aduke Olasanya. I became an Inner Wheel member by virtue of the fact that my husband is a Rotarian. I am the current chairman of District 911 in Nigeria.

How did you start out as an IWM?
I started my journey as an inner wheel member in 1994 when my husband served as the president of Rotary Club of Mushin. I noticed some women were there and I was wondering if they were Rotarians’ wives, they answered in the affirmative but further clarified that they belonged to the Inner Wheel club of Mushin.

So, I expressed interest in joining the organisation. Sadly, I discovered that the club was not functioning any longer, but I didn’t allow that to deter me. I asked for help, rallied people around and revived the club. This took nine long years. I did it with the members present at the time and wives of new Rotarians that joined during that period. I served as the club correspondent from 2002-2003 and from 2003-2004, I served as the club secretary. From 2004-2006, I served as the first president for two years at that same club in Mushin. I also served as the committee chairman for computer literacy programme from 2005-2006 and in that year I bagged an award as the best club president for my district.

After serving as the committee chairman for that year, the following year saw me serving as an editor at the district level for two terms. After a year break, I returned as the district treasurer for two years. I rested for a year again, but the following year, my family relocated to Ikorodu, which was a big challenge.

I thought of ways to charter a club considering the area was very rustic and quiet but I was undeterred and put the wheel of setting up a new club in progress. Thankfully, I am happy to note that I am the charter president of Inner Wheel Club of Igbe. Our convention in Istanbul, Turkey was what actually motivated me in setting up the charter in Igbe that year. Our organisation was open then to only wives of Rotarians, which had greatly limited and hindered membership, especially in Igbe.

It was at that convention that our dwindling membership was tabled and we agreed to throw open membership to all women, whether married to Rotarians or not, in so far as such women were of like mind and were of good standing. Immediately I got back, I moved from house to house to chat and introduce Inner Wheel to them, and that was how I chartered Inner Wheel Club of Igbe in ikorodu in 2012/2013. The charter presentation was presented to us by past district chairman Lanre Olomofe in 2014 and I served for two years as charter president and president of the club. The following year, I was elected as vice district chairman and served from 2014-2015 before being elected to serve as district chairman for 2016-2017.

What does it take to become a district chairman?
Before one can serve in that capacity, at that level, you ought to have served at the club and district levels for some years before you can become a district chairman. You must be hard working and have worked to a level that the college of BDCs would have noticed your work and recommend you for the position.

What impact have you made since you became president?
Since becoming the president, I have participated actively in district projects at the district level. At club level, myself and other members of the club of Igbe have visited orphanages and donated foodstuff, toiletries, drinks, and so on for the children. We have also donated to widows in our community and the downtrodden as well. Right now, there’s a sad case of special needs boy who is 17 years old and still in primary two. His parents say they have no money to send him to a special needs school and we are working tirelessly in order to achieve that.

What motivates you?
I think it is inbuilt because I’m so passionate about taking care of people that are in need. I love seeing people happy, I don’t want to see anybody suffer, it makes my heart bleed but whenever I see people living in a clean environment feeling happy, it also makes me happy because it is in me to always feel happy for people.

What challenges have you faced so far in the course of duty and how did you overcome?
Nothing is a challenge to me because I’m the kind of person that adapts easily to any situation I find myself. When I have I’m happy, when I don’t have I still feel good because I know it’s just temporary and tomorrow will be better.

Apart from Inner Wheel, what other thing do you do?
I run my own business now, I’m not an employee. I’m a paper converter and I run the business with my husband, which we have been doing for over twenty years since I retired and I feel good doing it. I’m not a member of any other organization or NGO because once you are an Inner Wheel member I think it is enough for anyone.

How do you manage to combine all the things you do?
I don’t find all I do stressful because serving humanity is what I know best. It has been part of me since childhood; I was born into it. I saw my father taking care of people and when I asked if he/she is a member of our family, he will tell me that either the parents are late or something and has to take care of them like his. This is what I grew up to learn from my father so it’s no surprise that I found myself in the world of NGO.

In your opinion, do you think parents are doing enough considering the high rate of crime among the youth today especially in Ikorodu?
Crime doesn’t happen only in Nigeria, it’s a global problem. Any frequent traveller will observe that crime is not peculiar to Ikorodu or Lagos or any other state in Nigeria, it is all over the world. The only advice I can give is that parents should try as much as possible to monitor their children when they are young because that’s when you can mould their character. It is important for parents to monitor the children’s movements after school and make sure they come home from school and not go to anywhere.

You were recently inaugurated as the Inner Wheel District 911 charter president. How do you feel?
I feel very happy and overwhelmed and I give glory to God because it is not by my making, it is God that made it possible for me to serve in this capacity and I want to say a very big thank you to my international Inner Wheel president, Oluyemisi Alatise. She has always been supportive from day one. I also thank my PDCs, board of directors, past national reps and to all inner wheel members of district 911 and all the districts in Nigeria. My star project for this year is vocational training. I will ensure that the participants start and finish well and empower them at the end of the programme.