To celebrate my 40th birthday in 2014, I and 40 of my closest friends and colleagues, came together to set up the ‘Forty for Good’ funding drive – a charity program aimed at supporting less privileged persons in the areas of health, education, and economic empowerment.

Like most people approaching a milestone age, it was important to me to not only show my gratitude to God, but also give back to society by impacting the lives of less privileged persons. I was excited to discover that I was not alone in this thought.

I shared this vision with a few friends who were also turning 40, and found that they also wanted to do something beyond the perfunctory birthday celebration. And so ‘Forty for Good’ was born.

United with a desire to positively impact our society, we came together, contributing time, effort and much needed funding. We also organized a charity walk event, to create awareness about the funding drive, and inspire others to be part of the critical change that our society needs. Partnering with experienced non-profit organizations, our efforts allowed us to provide small business grants to widows, support couples with fertility issues, provide vocational and tech education for persons with disabilities, and support children going back to school.

It was a fulfilling and rewarding experience, and it inspired me to keep up the social giving momentum, and continue to support those that need it, with the resources at my disposal.

I am even more passionate about effecting social change, with education being the primary focus of my current efforts. I am excited to share what we’re working on with our newest charity initiative, the Next Generation Foundation. Education is a key aspect of national growth and development, and must be given the attention it deserves.

I invite you to join me, in providing access to quality education to underserved children across Nigeria.

Yours truly,

Dupe Olusola