It was another memorable evening of fellowship, learning, and service above self as the Rotary Club of Oregun hosted one of its engaging weekly fellowship meetings at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.
The event brought together Rotarians, friends of Rotary, and distinguished guests for an inspiring session focused on one of humanity’s most pressing concerns—Maternal and Child Health.
The fellowship was presided over by the Club President, Rotarian Olamide Tinuoye, whose leadership has ushered in the new Rotary year with remarkable energy and purpose.
Welcoming members and guests, President Tinuoye expressed delight at the impressive turnout and reaffirmed the club’s commitment to implementing impactful service projects that transform lives and strengthen communities.
The event attracted an impressive gathering of Rotary leaders, including seven serving Club Presidents from across the district. Among them were the Presidents of the Rotary Clubs of Ikeja, Apakun, Omole Golden E-Club, Ogba, Ipaja New Dawn, and New Oko-Oba Metro, alongside many Rotarians from sister clubs.
Adding an international dimension to the evening was the presence of the Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Mwea, District 9216, Kenya, Rotarian Joyce Kamade, whose attendance further highlighted Rotary’s global spirit of fellowship and collaboration.
The highlight of the evening was a thought-provoking presentation by Professor Femi Oloyede, a medical doctor, Foundation Member of the Rotary Club of Ewutuntun, and Technical Partner of the Rotary Maternal and Child Health Action Group (RMCHAG).
Speaking passionately on the theme of Maternal and Child Health, Professor Oloyede painted a sobering picture of the healthcare realities confronting Nigeria and many developing nations.
He noted that approximately 5.9 million children under the age of five die annually from preventable causes such as malnutrition, inadequate healthcare, and poor sanitation.
“These are deaths that should never happen because they are largely preventable,” he said.
According to him, Rotary International has long recognised the importance of protecting mothers and children by dedicating the month of July each Rotary year to Maternal and Child Health, with the aim of promoting awareness and inspiring sustainable interventions across the world.
Professor Oloyede stressed that reducing maternal and infant mortality is a shared responsibility between government and citizens.
While acknowledging that government bears the constitutional responsibility of providing quality healthcare through effective regulation, adequate funding, improved healthcare infrastructure, and sound policy implementation, he observed that public institutions alone cannot bridge the enormous healthcare gaps.
“The government can only cover a fraction of the existing healthcare needs. That is where non-governmental organisations like Rotary become indispensable.”
He applauded the numerous Rotary Action Groups that continue to bridge these gaps through innovative interventions such as capacity building for healthcare workers, preventive health education, maternal and newborn healthcare programmes, community dialogues, health enlightenment campaigns, and door-to-door outreach initiatives.
Professor Oloyede also challenged Rotary clubs to rethink the way they execute service projects.
Rather than embarking on donation exercises merely for ceremonial purposes, he urged clubs to conduct comprehensive community needs assessments before designing interventions.
According to him, many well-intentioned donations have remained underutilised—or worse, diverted and sold by unscrupulous personnel in some health facilities—simply because they failed to address the institutions’ most pressing needs.
“Needs assessment must precede intervention. Service should never be about cutting ribbons or taking photographs. It must solve real problems.”
He further recommended that medical equipment and consumables donated by Rotary clubs should be properly branded to discourage diversion and promote accountability.
Beyond donations, Professor Oloyede encouraged clubs to embrace advocacy, monitoring, surveillance, and public enlightenment as equally powerful service interventions.
He noted that ignorance remains one of the greatest contributors to maternal and child mortality, arguing that educating expectant mothers and communities on maternal healthcare practices may, in many cases, have a greater and more lasting impact than the donation of physical items alone.
“Rotary does not always have to start entirely new projects. Sometimes our greatest impact comes from identifying existing gaps, filling them strategically, and measuring the difference over time.”
He also encouraged clubs to maximise opportunities available through The Rotary Foundation and District Grants, describing them as invaluable resources designed to support impactful humanitarian projects.
The engaging presentation generated lively discussions and thoughtful reflections among members, with many Rotarians expressing renewed commitment to designing evidence-based, sustainable, and measurable community interventions.
True to the Rotary Club of Oregun’s cherished spirit of “We Care,” the evening also featured moments of joy and celebration as members honoured the Club Secretary, Rotarian Seyi Ayedun, and prospective member, Miss Abisola, whose birthdays were celebrated during the fellowship.
The celebrations added warmth and colour to an evening already rich in learning, friendship, and fellowship.
The club also celebrated a significant membership milestone with the induction of Rotarian Subomi Fafowora, son of Assistant Governor Niran Fafowora, who has fulfilled all membership requirements and demonstrated a genuine passion for serving humanity through the Rotary Club of Oregun.
As the fellowship drew to a close, one message resonated throughout the room: meaningful service is not measured by the volume of resources donated, but by the number of lives genuinely transformed.
Under the purposeful leadership of President Olamide Tinuoye, the Rotary Club of Oregun continues to demonstrate that lasting impact begins with understanding community needs and delivering sustainable solutions that make a measurable difference.
Rotary is Good!
Oregun is Beautiful!
Courtesy:
Public Image Committee
Rotary Club of Oregun
