The vision of Goodwill Vow, is to enable the ordinary man give freely to causes he/she cares about and develop a philanthropic attitude.
This week we will be featuring some of our Vowers and learning about their journey into philanthropy and what motivates them to give.
Introduce Yourself: Name, Business, Interesting thing about you, how did you hear about Goodwill Vows.
My name is Oluwapelumi Awoyale, a law graduate, an award-winning poet, and the founder of Rydr Technology, a ride-hailing company that provides shared mobility services with the goal of reducing carbon footprints and reviving the sharing economy in Africa.
I enjoy interacting with people, having conversations, and experiencing different cultures. I learned about the Goodwill vow at UPG Biashara, a training which I’m grateful for.
Would you classify yourself as a philanthropist and why?
In a way, I do classify myself as a philanthropist. I don’t believe philanthropy only involves financial donations. I think it encompasses other charitable donations like foods, clothes, shoes, labor and intellectual capital among others. I have acted out these beliefs in various humanitarian objectives. For example, in 2018, I founded Africa Born Stars, an NGO that specialized in reorienting young minds, particularly in orphanage homes and on the streets. We donated clothes and shoes, among other things, a few times. So, yes I do classify myself as a philanthropist.
What causes do you care about?
I am interested in various causes, but passionate about environmental sustainability and promoting shared prosperity.
This has been incorporated into my company, Rydr Technology, which promotes shared mobility services and reduces carbon footprint.
I am passionate about this causes as I believe that a shared economy, will help reduce the gap between the rich and the poor, eliminating unnecessary desperation and the vices that accompany it and based on human capacity for ingenuity and creativity, our collective responsibility in enhancing the sustainability of the environment is unfathomable.
What motivates you to give?
I would say, my early exposure to giving and the benefits it accords the giver and receiver motivates me to give.
As a child, my mother introduced the habit of giving by making us (my siblings and I) give our cloths we no longer us or wear to underprivileged people who need it. She ensured we understood the importance of giving and helping those we can even with the little we have.
Also, we have a family tradition, especially during the Christmas celebrations to deliver food to all our neighbors to ensure that everyone has a meal to eat for the celebration. The distribution of food is usually done by the young children and grandchildren. Although, this was an activity I disliked but as my understanding increased, it is a practice I am proud of.
In Africa, it is said that “it takes a village to raise a child.” While my parents primarily raised me, I am also a product of this African saying. I have been a beneficiary of the generosity of the ‘village’, so I intend to pass this on in the little way I can.
What impact would you like to make with your giving?
I’d like to have an impact on issues that are important to me, such as shared prosperity and environmental sustainability. I’d like to see more awareness of the need to prioritize earth sustainability in all industries, a recognition that everything we do counts and that earth sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. I’d also like to see a great majority of Africans adopt the sharing economy once more.
How or what have you donated in the past?
In 2018, I founded an NGO that reoriented children in orphanage homes and on the streets. Among other things, we contributed clothing. I also make it a yearly habit to donate all unused or underutilized stuff such as furniture, clothing, and shoes. As I was taught as a kid, I believe that if anything is not in use, it is more likely to spoil, and rather than see things spoil, it is preferable to give them away.
You can also begin your philanthropic journey by making a Goodwill Vow, we would love to hear from you, share in the comments what motivates you to give.