I want to give a lifting hand to people, alleviate their pain, says Yetunde Dimowo, President, Rotary Club of Lekki

Rotarian Yetunde Dimowo was born April 5, 1977, to the family of the late Dr. Olajire & Mrs. Tolani Olanlokun. She had her primary education at the University of Lagos Nursery and Primary School, Yaba. From there she went on to Our Lady of Apostles Girl’s Secondary School, St. Agnes, Yaba. She proceeded to the university of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD) where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English. Dimowo also acquired a diploma in Advertising from the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and  holds other numerous certificates in Customers service and event management.

She was recently installed as the 16th President of the Rotary Club of Lekki Phase-1, Lagos. Speaking to The Nigerian Xpress at her investiture, Dimowo expressed excitement at her new tasks.

 

You made a statement earlier during your investiture ceremony; you said ‘it’s not something I wanted but it’s something I am mandated to’. Why did you run away from this leadership position for so long?

Well,16 people have gone ahead of me and not counting those  incredible  people, who started Rotary; they have done a fantastic job and you look at it and you start questioning whether  you are good enough to fill in these people’s shoes.

For your club to find you worthy, it’s not easy because I feel all the burdens on my shoulder. I have been a Rotarian for a long time and  since I was young, I had this passion for giving back  to society and I found a niche there,  and I feel excited that I am worthy of the position.

We don’t force people; we choose our leaders and we choose them wisely. This role is something that when you receive, you have just one year to achieve your goals; you have to do a lot to do. Every month has a designated title. Theme for this month is membership month. It is for us to celebrate our members,  to introduce Rotary to other intending members. We train and teach ourselves more about what Rotary is all about, which is giving back to society through your time, talents and treasures.

Your project for this year is inspiring…

I am passionate about children. And I have always had a passion for giving back to society because growing up, I was taught to show love to the less fortunate.

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I love children a lot. My mothers – because I have three Mothers – my biological mother, my mother-in-law and an adopted mother, who has taught me that it is not about the people in a circle, but about others. Growing up, my house was always full.

I found out that, that was the same thing with my husband’s family and the woman who I called my adopted mother. It’s the same thing in their house; they bring children together. We eat, we celebrate, we have fun at home, notwithstanding the little they can give, it is always enough for all of us and this has made me realise that no matter how little you have, you should be able to give back to the people, who even have less than you and this is what I was brought up with and it is what I have been instilled with and it is what I am instilling in my children, that you don’t have to have a lot, you don’t have to have millions in your bank account but whatever you have, even if you have ten naira, you can help someone with two naira.

There are other causes you could have chosen, why did you choose sickle cell?

The Rotary Club of Lekki Phase-1 has stepped up to the challenge of reducing the spread and mortality rate of the deadly sickle cell disease (SCD) in Nigeria.

Our country is currently the SCD epicenter of the world, with an estimated 150,000 babies born with the disease each year and more than 100,000 dying before the age of five. This reveals that Nigeria accounts for nearly half of the more than 300,000 babies born worldwide each year with severe haemoglobin disorders.

Sickle cell disease is one of Nigeria’s most common illnesses that receive inadequate attention, and with the damning statistics, from health experts, Nigeria is exposed as a black sheep among the comity of nations. I had a friend who lost a twin brother to sickle cell.

Also when I went to the university, I had a friend who also had SCD. Whenever she went into crisis, nobody touched her. We used the bedsheet to get to her. I helplessly watched her agonise in excruciating pains caused by SCD. Then again, my husband’s first cousin also suffered from SCD. She had a crisis during the Ebola outbreak; many hospitals rejected her because they were scared and didn’t know what it was. So, her condition deteriorated into a partial stroke. She was managing her condition till we lost her two years ago.

I have seen people with SCD, especially children, crying in agony and suffer excruciating pains all through life because of the disease. We Rotarians are poised to bring some help.

It is sad that the awareness of SCD is very low in our country. Nigeria has the highest number of sickle cell patients in the world. It is heartbreaking. So, I want to give a lifting hand to people and alleviate their pain. It is not easy, I am a carrier, I am AS.

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When I see children, I see their sores, I see people in pain and when they are in pain, they scream. If you have any human feelings, you will want to help. Unfortunately, sickle cell is not something everyone knows or truly understands its depth.

Even at that, we shield it, because in Africa, we shield everything and unfortunately, Nigeria has the highest rate of sickle cell anaemia in the world. It is very hard but it is something that as a mother, I wouldn’t pray for any child. People are going through it so I can as well assist and help by giving a lifting hand to alleviate, even if it is one percent of their pain, it is something which I know they will appreciate.

What is your message to stakeholders dealing with sickle cell in the country at this moment?

Oh…we have a lot, a few weeks back,  Simi’s husband, Adekunle Gold, came out to say he is a sickle cell patient. I was happy because it shows you that a lot of people are living with it but we don’t know this because they are going about their daily lifestyles. We think  everything is okay.

They are warriors who are fighting everyday for survival. For example, if we have to drink two litres of water, they need to take four litres of water. We need to eat our vegetables, they need to eat more; it is a lifestyle.. Sickle cell is a lifestyle that produces warriors, who come out at the top of it.

Anybody who is fighting with sickle cell is a warrior and they are living with it and showing us that life is more than we think it is. They go through pain, they go through heartache, they go through a lot and yet they march majestically because they are saying, this life, I need to live it and I need to enjoy it, so their inspiration is my inspiration.

I know you are not a doctor but I will still  direct this question to you. I was at a friend’s shop and a woman walked in, crying because her child had sickle cell. She came to ask for funds. We asked her, why did you not check before getting married? And she said something, that the pastor in her church, a popular Pentecostal church, told her not to worry that they would pray about it and their offspring would not have sickle cell. Don’t you think that maybe religion  comes to play here? Are we fooling ourselves?

You know in Nigeria we are all religious. I don’t want to use hypocrites but the truth is, in Nigeria, everything is all about religion. We say oh, I rebuke this, I rebuke that and we go back to the grave. Yes, some people do make mistakes. I know a couple who went to the test because of the Nigerian factor, our hospitals don’t have adequate facilities. It came out wrong; they went ahead and got married.

Our people fall prey to it. Even medical practitioners, even people who are educated fall prey to it and when they fall prey to it, there’s no going back because if you decide to tie yourself to this person, that’s it and if you find yourself in such a situation, you can’t say no I will not, I am no longer doing.

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I know people who have sad situations like that and unfortunately, they are coping with it and their children are coping with it too. I know some people who have travelled to do the bone marrow transplant and their children are living healthy and it is awesome but if we can help the people who cannot even afford the medications to check the velocity of the blood in their brains, why not give them this little machine that is something we should invest in as a country since a lot of people in our country suffer this condition.

In your speech, you indicated that the machine costs N27 million; raising that amount is not a child’s play, how do you intend to go about it?

You are very correct is not; it is not a child’s play.

Raising N27 million is no joke. But I’ll beg friends, family, and other Rotarians around the world. We need to raise the funds to bring help to people with SCD. I believe that through determination we can achieve it, even if it is just one we get. I am ready to plead to get it. I’m sure that one TCD machine would save hundreds of children from having a stroke.

From sensitisation campaigns on SCD, I will also be canvassing to procure and donate Transcranial Doppler machines to various hospitals. A Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is an ultrasound screening device used to measure the speed of blood flow through the blood vessels in the brain. Acquiring this device would help to identify children with SCD, who are at an increased risk of a stroke. And this would go a long way in making primary stroke prevention a reality.