Dr. Femi Ogunrinde Educational Opportunity Fund
This fund is breaking cycles of educational inequality. Every scholarship awarded will impact entire families and communities, ensuring that dreams of education don’t end at marriage, motherhood, or unexpected pregnancy.
70/30 Vision:
Empowering Mothers Through Educational Transformation
Every unfulfilled dream of education carries within it the seeds of future change. My mother’s story embodies this truth. In Nigeria, where cultural norms prioritized marriage over education for girls, she faced the barriers of her time. Despite her potential, she was married off after grade 10 – another bright mind dimmed by the belief that investing in girls’ education was too risky.
Today, we see these barriers take new forms. Young women face interrupted education due to pregnancy, while single mothers struggle to balance parental responsibilities with educational aspirations. My mother’s story – of studying via correspondence courses and earning three London GCE O-levels while working as a telephone operator – mirrors the determination of these mothers who refuse to let circumstances define their future. She left us too soon at age 47, her dreams of higher education unfulfilled, yet her sacrifice for her children’s future burned bright until the end.
As I approach my 70th birthday and mark 30 years of community service, I am committed to transforming these stories of interrupted dreams into pathways of hope.
Who We Support
The Dr. Femi Ogunrinde Educational Opportunity Fund, held at the Community Foundation, will open doors for two critical groups:
- Single mothers seeking to return to education, carrying both family responsibilities and educational aspirations
- Young mothers whose education was paused by pregnancy, feeling their dreams slip away while nurturing new life
Drawing inspiration from the Swedish concept of “döstädning” or “death cleaning” – the practice of leaving behind only what truly matters – I believe the most meaningful legacy we can create is one that breaks down barriers and creates new possibilities for those often overlooked by society.
Our Vision
To establish an enduring scholarship fund that will:
- Provide educational opportunities for mothers of all ages
- Honor the resilience of mothers who sacrifice daily for their children
- Challenge cultural barriers that limit educational access
- Transform lives across generations through the power of education
- Demonstrate that pregnancy or single parenthood doesn't mean the end of dreams
Partner With Us
Your contribution to the Dr. Femi Ogunrinde Educational Opportunity Fund is an investment in breaking cycles of educational inequality. Every scholarship awarded will impact not just one life, but entire families and communities, ensuring that dreams of education don’t end at marriage, motherhood, or unexpected pregnancy.
Join me in celebrating these milestones – not with gifts, but by giving the gift of education to others. Let’s turn this 70/30 celebration into a legacy that will impact generations to come and honor those, like my mother, whose educational dreams remained unfulfilled.
Let this be a testament to young mothers who need to know that their dreams still matter, and to single mothers who deserve the chance to reach their full potential.