By Emmanuel Onwusoro
About twenty thousand people across Ekiti State and beyond have so far benefitted from the Babatunde Femi Owolabi Heart Foundation, BFO. An initiative which came on stream in 2012.
The Founder, Mr Tope Tosin Owolabi, a native of Igbole-Ekiti, in Ido/Osi local government area of Ekiti State, and a United States-based philanthropist who said this in an interview in Ado-Ekiti, pointed out that the purpose of his Foundation is to give back to his community and impact on the society generally.
He explained that the name Babatunde came from his elder brother who died of diabetes despite the amount of money spent for his recovery. According to him, BFO Heart Foundation has been in existence for the past fifteen years. One of the aims is to create awareness about diabetes and hypertension.
“We started with community outreach. Giving assistance to widows and others. There is need to impact on the society. We bring drugs, doctors, nurses and allied ancillary services from overseas. We carry out free medical check up on people. We sensitize people on health”.
The philanthropist advised people to do away with superstitious beliefs, but spare time to take care of themselves medically. He remarked, “I can see that ignorance is part of the reasons we just die any how. So that is why I took it upon myself to sensitize people through seminars, workshops and talks to keep people abreast of what is going on in terms of their health”.
The United States-based philanthropist,communication and business guru said he deemed it necessary to create awareness about diabetes and hypertension because people don’t take good care of their health seriously. He added that aside his home State,Ekiti, the Foundation had taken its medical outreach to Lagos and Oyo States.
Mr Owolabi said notwithstanding the harsh economic situation in Nigeria, he keeps the Foundation afloat because he is determined to channel his resources to the sustenance of the organization for the good of humanity “It’s the passion I have,the economy doesn’t really matter. I believe in leaving indelible footprints on the sands of time. For years, our Foundation has also been involved in reaching out to schools, awarding scholarships, kitting the students,giving them free books. Some teachers came from my alma mater,Mary Immaculate Grammar School,Ado-Ekiti,to appreciate what my Foundation has done for the school. The gesture has also been extended to many other schools in Ekiti State”.
On his foray into life, he said,” I have been out of Ekiti for a long time. I was into business before I left for Europe about twenty something years ago. Now I am in the United States of America, where I have my own logistic business, but I have passion for Ekiti,so I have been coming home for the past 20 years. I always make sure that I am in Ekiti every year”
On politics,”well, I don’t believe in politics. When I started people thought I was doing it because of politics. They started coming to me. Some of them were feeling threatened that I was doing this type of thing. I said no,that I wasn’t interested in politics. I am not interested,what I am interested is what I will to the society to make impact.
Tope Tosin Owolabi, attended Mary Immaculate Grammar School,Ado-Ekiti. College of Education,Ikere-Ekiti. Ondo State University,now Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti,where he studied Guidance and Counselling.
