Building the Foundation: A Day of Learning, Awareness and Hope

Walking into the same building I finished secondary school from seven years ago felt surreal. This time, I wasn’t walking through those familiar gates as a student. I was welcomed and introduced to the school as an alumna, returning to a place that had played such an important role in shaping who I am today.

As part of DeAltar’s Build the Foundation campaign, we returned to my alma mater, Yeshua High School, in April for a session focused on creating awareness about endometriosis. The campaign was held in collaboration with the Beryl Endo Foundation, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness and educating girls about endometriosis.

We had the opportunity to speak with about 80 selected girls from the senior secondary school, introducing them to an important conversation that many of them had never heard before.

At DeAltar, we believe in spreading the message of hope and creating spaces where young people can learn, grow and become better equipped to navigate the world around them. I believe that the work we do at DeAltar is important because sometimes, building a better future begins with simply giving someone the information they need to make better decisions about their lives.

I began the session by introducing DeAltar, sharing who we are, what we do and why the work we do matters. I then invited the founder of the Beryl Endo Foundation, Sola Oyedipe, to speak with the girls about endometriosis.

The session was both enlightening and eye-opening. For many of the girls, it was their first time hearing about endometriosis. What began as an introduction to the condition quickly became an engaging conversation. The girls were curious, attentive and incredibly interactive. They asked questions, shared their thoughts and showed a genuine desire to understand more.

It was also a wonderful experience working alongside our volunteers, who were incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the day Blessing Famose, Toluwanimi Sopitan (who are also both alumni of Yeshua High School) and Ololade. The team at the Beryl Endo Foundation were equally amazing, and I am grateful for the time, knowledge and effort they brought to the session. It was a beautiful reminder of what can happen when people come together around a shared purpose.

For me, being able to play a part in bringing this conversation to a space that once shaped my own life made the experience even more special. Returning to my alma mater as a project manager, this time with the responsibility of helping to create an experience for others, was a moment I will not forget.

Of course, playing a part in managing a project can be a stretch. There are always moments when you wonder if everything will come together as planned, but seeing it all come together makes the effort worth it.

The Build the Foundation campaign is a reflection of what we hope to continue doing at DeAltar: creating spaces for young people to learn, engage and become more aware of the world around them. We believe that hope is not only something we speak about. It is something we build, one conversation, one person and one community at a time. And sometimes, building that foundation begins with returning to where you started and helping someone else find their way forward.