Every month, MATTER gives $250 to someone who wants to help others in their community. So far this year, we’ve funded an art teacher who bought outdoor winter clothes for her special needs students so they could enjoy a day of winter activities, a physical therapist who bought books for her local schools depicting positive images of children with disabilities, and a dental surgeon in Nigeria who created oral hygiene kits for orphans. (See his story below).
Our next You Matter Giveaway winner is Jared Johnson! Jared and his wife are passionate about supporting families in the foster care community. As a foster family themselves, they know firsthand the unique challenges these families face. Jared will use the $250 to bless another foster family in their community. The money will go toward a date night out for the parents, a day of fun for the family, or to provide for a financial need – whatever the family chooses. We’ll share an update on the impact of Jared’s kindness next month!
Here is a project update from our last You Matter Giveaway winner, Dr. Babatunde Oluwaleke Ayilola.
As a dental surgeon from Nigeria, Dr. Babatunde Oluwaleke Ayilola, is no stranger to helping people in his community. Along with his wife, Temilade, a medical doctor, the two founded the Global Adolescents Health and Development Initiative and DR BOAT TV, an educational TV channel dedicated to providing accurate and updated health information to all people, regardless of age, color or social status. They also volunteer for many local and international NGOs (non-government organizations).
With the $250 from the You Matter Giveaway, Dr. Babatunde created 200 oral hygiene kits for children at a local orphanage. Each kit contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss, along with food and soap. On March 19, World Oral Health Day, Dr. Babatunde and his wife delivered the kits to the orphanage. Because the children have little dental care in general, he also brought along a mouth model to train the children on how to properly care for their teeth using their new supplies.
The children were elated by Dr. Babatunde’s visit and the kits they received. In a heartfelt thank-you sent after his visit, the orphanage director wrote, “All the staff of Erelu Adebayo Children’s Home and my glorious children say a very big thank you for your support and generous donation to the home. God bless you.”
For Dr. Babatunde, helping others is woven into the very fabric of his life. “I am a man who delights in doing good to all and sundry. I find a lot of fulfillment in helping the needy and the less privileged in my society. I am of the school of thought that every person deserves the right to live irrespective of economic ability. I believe that there is nothing that I have that I did not receive. Therefore, I am committed to giving to others who will find my strengths and abilities useful.”
It has been such an honor for MATTER to help fund this project for Dr. Babatunde. We wish him and his wife the very best as they continue to use their skills and expertise to improve communities by making healthcare more accessible for everyone in their country.
