Interview: How a nurse with 48 children celebrates 40 years Birthday

Interview: How a nurse with 48 children celebrates 40 years Birthday

By

Omowumi Hannah

In this interview, the Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Oyiza Orphanage Home, Joy Taiwo speaks with AsNewslink's Reporter,  OMOWUMI HANNAH, on 40 years Birthday and 25 years in the Home operation: Challenges and Successes

A. Can you tell Nigerians who you are?

My name is Joy Taiwo.

I hailed from Adavi Local Governments Area of Kogi State. I am a wife, a mother, a nurse, and an orphanage operator.

B. Give us more into your background.

I was born on the 1st of December, 1985 into the family of Mr. and Late Mrs Oyiza Janet Idris. Today, I celebrate my fortieth year appreciating God for His grace and mercy. I grew up with a virtuous mother whom God used as a guardian angel for me. I went through my primary school at Popson International School, Ibadan.

 My secondary education at Saint Teresa's College Ibadan and I completed my SSCE at Wetlands Comprehensive College, Lagos. I studied Science and Laboratory Technology (SLT) at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and later had my BNSC in Nursing at the University of Ibadan. I am currently a practising nurse with 10 years of experience at the University College  Teaching Hospital, Ibadan. 

C. How will you describe life as a teenager back then?

Life was tough while growing as I watched my  mother struggle through different poorly paid jobs. She went through hard times to raise us. Many time she worked in a rundown restaurant, worked for someone as a farmer, sold firewoods, fried chinchin, puffpuff, fish, etc.

For days we would go hungry.  Mother would take roast ground cassava (garri) on credit with #100 naira groundnut to make soup for us to eat. I had bitter experiences as a teenager. Thank God, my mother stood by us all.

D. How strong was your mother? 

Haa. You want me to tell more story in respect of that. Let me tell you, the day I recognized the strength of my mother was when she was called to work in a thick forest as a palm wine loader. She worked far into the middle of the night. At dawn, while she was paid. she saw a crab dragged into a hole for hiding. She dropped the palm on her head, took cutlass from it, and dug the hole tiringly and found the crab. It was a magical scene for me as a young girl then. That was the only week our pot tasted differently.

E. Tell us more into your mother's career.

My mother later went into Nursing;  ran a maternity centre for 19 years with success stories on her patients. 

Everything was almost free. While she was managed the maternity centre, people rescued abandoned children and brought to her for care. Gradually, the news about her kind and free services went across the city to the extent that the state divisional Police stations, especially the Juvenile Welfare Centre identified with her and committed orphans, abandoned baby, neglected children etc. under her care. This was how she was inspired to start up an orphanage. 

She was a hardworking, dedicated, kind, and compassionate nurse during her lifetime. 

Her demise  came sudden at the age of 45 in 2007 after a brief illness, but it was such an impactful one.

F. How did you move on after the demise of your female parent?

My brother and I were saddled with the responsibility of nuturing 50 children in the orphanage after her demise. The role I took  at the age of 22 came with mixed feelings, but with courage I  championed the course, having learned resilience from my Hero (mother).

I ensured quality education for all the children, and so we withdrew them from public schools to private schools in order for them to catch up academically.  The majority of the children had never been to school while other were purely drop outs. Through this effort, today we have 7 university graduates and 2 National Diploma Holders and one College of Education Holder amongst them. While as I speak, we have 12 others in the university across Nigeria, and others on Youth Service(NYSC). What a grace!

G. So far, could we say since you took over the orphanage, there were no challenges considering your academic nursing background?

Well, we would say, we have ever focused on quality and good healthcare for all the  children. Children who are haemoglobin Sickle Cell (SS and SC), with seizure disorder, and other manageable health conditions were adequately considered for  regular health care at the University College Hospital, Ibadan while I manage the minor ones.

H. Many Nigerians lament poor economy, how are you feeding the 50 children conveniently, Mrs Joy Taiwo?

The nutritional well-being of these children is such a huge responsibility, and in order to overcome the hard task of adequate feeding. We went into farming, and this was championed by my brother.  We leased a farmland and cultivated a large scale farming where the majority of the farm produce are kept for feeding, with very few ones sold in exchange for cash- from it, we buy some other food items to include soup ingredients, proteins and others. All for food security, with this we combat malnutrition earlier reported in some of the kids at admission into the Orphanage. 

I. For how long, can we say Orphanage has been on operation?

Oyiza Orphanage has been in existence for the past 25 years.  The need for a safe home for the children is a necessity. Unfortunately, the children are cared for on a rented facility where we are faced with a bi-annual rent increment. 

The serenity of the facility is not pleasing to us.

J. Why?  

The children have to line up to use the bathroom and toilet. Drinking water is bought into a gallon from a farther area due to a lack of water supply, around the rented facility, to mention but few.

K. What steps did you make to make a difference considering the negative factors against your Orphanage?

In 2001, God raised kindhearted men and women to support the Orphanage to procure a more conducive permanent shelter facility for us. We are trusting God to move into this facility by 2026 as we are currently seeking support to complete the renovation of the facility at Felele Area of Ibadan. It is a Home suitable for real children. I am happy we are nearing our desires. God will raise more people for us.

L. For now, how grateful are you for the years spent as an Orphanage operator?

 

I have to sincerely appreciate God for His grace and mercy for this forty years of my life. I would want the kindhearted people out there to support the Oyiza Orphanage, most especially the 45 children under my care now as to achieve their dreams of having a comfortable place to call a home.

Every child deserves to be loved, cared for, and protected irrespective of their tribe, colour, ethnicity, or religion. 

M. In case of reaching you for help, support or benevolence, how will they reach out to you?

I will be the happiest person if touched individuals can donate, or support the good work. Visit us at 24, NTC Road Oke Ado, Ibadan Oyo State, Nigeria. They can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok,  Twitter,  YouTube @Oyizaorphanagehome 

www.oyizaorphanage.org.