By Ooreoluwa Bamiduro, SDG Advocate

From a young age, I have believed that access to quality education and healthcare should not be a privilege but a fundamental right. This conviction has guided my path, fueling my efforts to make meaningful change in the lives of others.

Since 2019, I have dedicated myself to mentoring and teaching young people, particularly those in public secondary schools. I currently volunteer with a leading nonprofit in Nigeria, the FAME Foundation, where I teach leadership and personal development. Every session with these students is an opportunity to inspire, educate, and challenge them to become the best versions of themselves. Many of them come from underprivileged backgrounds, where education is often seen as an unattainable luxury rather than a pathway to a better future. I saw firsthand how discrimination begins with small acts like who gets to drink from your water bottle, who’s allowed to sit next to you, and who gets invited to your birthday party. One day, I forgot my lunch at school. No one shared theirs. And I knew why. That small heartbreak left a lasting scar, but it also ignited something fierce in me the determination to unlearn hate and to create spaces where no child feels less than human. So, I started a small community school with my friend. We funded it from our own pockets, buying notebooks instead of snacks. But after eight months, many children were pulled out not because we failed but because local religious institutions offered food along with religious education. It was a painful lesson in how even good intentions struggle against the lure of material security.

Through mentorship, I help these students see beyond their immediate struggles. I encourage them to pursue education relentlessly, guiding them to make informed decisions about their future. Over the years, I have mentored about 1,000 young people, both directly and indirectly, and I have witnessed remarkable transformations. Many of them have grown into confident leaders, making better choices, striving for excellence, and even mentoring others in return. Seeing these changes reinforces my belief that education is not just about academics, it is about empowerment, vision, and the ability to rewrite one’s own story.

My work in healthcare advocacy is deeply personal. In November 2022, my mother fell seriously ill, and I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of inadequate healthcare funding. Seeing people suffer because of lack of funding hurt me so deeply. The experience was painful, but it also ignited a fierce determination within me, to ensure that no one else had to suffer simply because they could not afford medical care.

This resolve led me to establish the Hope Haven for Indigents Initiative in early 2023. What began as a simple desire to help quickly grew into a movement. Our mission is clear: to provide medical assistance to indigent patients in Nigeria, giving them a fighting chance at life.

Since its inception, we have provided medications and covered medical procedures worth about $3,000, restoring hope to those who had lost all faith in receiving the care they desperately needed.

One of the most memorable moments in this journey was when we supported indigent mothers who just gave birth and were not released because they could not afford to clear their bills. With our intervention, they received the treatment they needed and were able to return home to their family to celebrate the joy of their newborn. Stories like theirs remind me why I do this work, they reinforce the power of compassion, the urgency of action, and the transformative impact of kindness.

The faces of the students I mentor, the grateful voices of patients we have supported, and the countless others still in need fuel my drive to keep going. Change does not happen overnight, but with every young mind inspired and every life saved, we take a step closer to a better world. One step at a time, one life at a time, we will keep moving forward, spreading hope and making the world a better place.