Government Secondary School (GSS) Wuye, Abuja, has marked the first graduation of a student sponsored by the Buni Yadi Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by the late Niyi Ayoola-Daniels.
The school’s principal, Mrs Elizabeth Dikko, at the ceremony on Wednesday, expressed gratitude to the foundation for its role in supporting vulnerable children.
“We appreciate the Buni Yadi Foundation for sponsoring one of our students.
“Today, he graduates successfully, and we are hopeful the foundation will continue to support more students who cannot afford education.
“This year, 76 students graduated from the school, with the foundation’s beneficiary, Zakariya Ibrahim, standing out as a symbol of resilience and hope,” she said.
Speaking about his journey, Zakariya Ibrahim described the moment as life-changing.
Ibrahim, who was sponsored through his senior secondary education, recalled challenges including peer pressure and personal struggles but credited the foundation’s support for keeping him focused on his studies.
“My happiness is in bundles. I thank God and the foundation for making my dream come true. Many young people like me never get the chance, but I promised myself never to disappoint them.
“My dream is to take this foundation to where it is meant to be and help others like me,” he said.
Also speaking, Mrs Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, Wife of the founder, Buni Yadi Foundation, said the vision was birthed out of a painful personal experience faced by her late husband, Mr Daniels, during his youth in Buni Yadi, Yobe State.
Ayoola-Daniels said the late Daniels was falsely accused of theft at the age of 17, but was later acquitted, noting that this ordeal inspired him to dedicate his life to helping disadvantaged children.
“From that trauma, he turned pain into passion and set up the Buni Yadi Foundation to support out-of-school and displaced children.
“We began with 13 children from an IDP camp, and Zakariya is the very first to graduate,” she explained.
Beyond scholarships, she said the foundation ran food programmes for over 500 children every quarter.
Additionally, she said the foundation provided healthcare interventions including surgeries for indigent students, and supports children in IDP camps with toiletries and other essentials.
While challenges remained, particularly with some sponsored girls dropping out due to early marriages, Daniels reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to keeping hope alive.
“The journey is tough, but even if some fall by the way, there will always be those like Zakariya who push through. This is why we must keep going,” she added.
Also, Mrs Sonye Allanah, Member of Buni Yadi Foundation, expressed immense pride in the achievement.
“We are very excited because something that started as an idea, as a seed, has now come to fruition.
“This graduation is proof that the dream of the late Ayoola Daniels, who founded this foundation, is alive and thriving,” she said.
Allanah recounted her journey with the foundation, highlighting her admiration for the late founder’s integrity and determination.
She said over the years, she had worked with the foundation on outreach efforts, including visits to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and engagements with prominent Nigerians to secure awareness and support.
In spite the scale of Nigeria’s challenges, she said she has never doubted the foundation’s mission, stressing the hope that more children would have the same opportunities from the foundation.