“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”
– Proverbs 19:17
Bayo Fatusin Foundation uses several different approaches to eradicate poverty and foster self reliance. The wide variety of development and relief projects allow us to not only address immediate issues such as hunger and health care, but also the long-range chronic problems such as education, strategic planning, and financial support. Our multi-faceted approach provides the best chance of survival and progression both physically and spiritually.
Monthly Charity Drives
Each month, the Bayo Fatusin Foundation holds charity drives in hospitals and charity homes. These drives impact people who cannot speak for themselves including motherless babies and the elderly.
Tarkwa Bay Island
Foundation volunteers regularly visits Takwa Bay Island to distribute desperately needed food and drugs to the poor. Hundreds of people attend the distribution events to receive food, supplies, and medicine that ease their suffering and learn about the programs and assistance available through the foundation.
Dominican College Mafoluku Oshodi
In August 2009, the Bayo Fatusin Foundation sponsored the building of 3 classrooms and 3 science laboratories for the Dominican College Mafoluku Oshodi. The addition of the classrooms and laboratories helped the college educate more students improving their chances of avoiding poverty for themselves and their families and directly combating the 39.2% adult illiteracy rate of Nigeria.
St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, Yaba, Lagos
The foundation donates gifts and cash each quarter to the St. Rita’s Widows Society for poor widows through the St. Dominic’s Catholic Church. These donations have directly helped hundreds of widows and their families with food and supplies while spreading the word of empowerment and battling the war against poverty.
St. Catherine of Sienna Medical Centre Mafoluku, Oshodi
With the donation of a multi-scanning machine to the St. Catherine of Sienna Medical Centre, the Bayo Fatusin Foundation improved the detection, treatment, and prevention of many health problems. Poor access to proper health care contributes not only to poverty and mortality rates, but directly affects the limited Nigerian life expectancy of 52 years, which is 20 years below the world-wide average.
Training of Dominican Priests
Assistance from the foundation goes toward the training of Dominican Priests for the Catholic Church through St. Jude’s Apostolate and the Society for Vocational Support. The strengthening of education for priests allows them to spread the word of God and empowers people’s security and spirituality.
Women Empowerment Scheme
“Women and households headed solely by women are often the most chronically poor members of rural communities.”Men enjoy a higher social status, and therefore have more access to schooling and training. In recent decades, men have left rural areas in search of employment, which has substantially increased the number of households headed solely by women.
To help the increasing number of women who are living in poverty, the Bayo Fatusin Foundation has developed the Women Empowerment Scheme to empower them in opening small businesses and creating their own means of support. The scheme provides executive advice on strategic planning and financial education while supplying the much needed financial support and interest free loans to get the small businesses off the ground.
The first event was held 31st July through 1st August, 2012 and almost 200 women benefited from the scheme. The next phase is expected in November 2012.