Bamitale Kevin-Agono… in avid allegiance to women empowerment
When I heard about the lovely woman gracing the inspiring woman page for this week and her passion for women, I knew I would find her interesting. I got her contact and called her on the phone to schedule an appointment and she sounded really pleasant and I looked forward to meeting her…guess what? My expectations were not dashed…ok, truth be told, I missed my way but hey! I got there anyway and made it up the stairs.
With a warm smile and an alluring personality, she greeted me with a hug and made me feel comfortable. We exchanged pleasantries and traded banter, I came to have an interview with her but it became an enlightening conversation with so much depth that we were both intrigued by the information we shared. The affable persona for this week is none other than the delectable Bamitale Kevin-Agono.
If Bamitale is enthusiastic about anything, it is the commitment to empowering women. Hear her tell more on this “When I was in school about 12 years ago, I just rededicated my life to God then, so I began to search for what exactly my purpose on earth was, and God told me clearly that it was to empower women.
I was a bit unclear about it because I knew a lot of pastor’s wives were doing various things and I did not want to go where God did not send me, so I needed clarification and I got the leading to empower women emotionally and financially because when a woman has financial muscle, believe me, even a nation can change for the better, if she has good self esteem, she will pull herself from emotional instability, so while I was in school (OSU) then, I started what was called ‘Virtue Blazers’, it was a female empowerment programme to teach women how to be empowered financially, in craft, how to start businesses (because I was studying accountancy).”
“I left school, got into IT, the corporate world, telecoms, investment banking and also went to business school. While I was in business school, in 2006, it was heavy in my heart to start a business but I started sensing that I needed to do a business that would empower, so I started thinking about apparels, clothing, development and all.
After business school, I had to work and then became so burdened to start an empowerment programme and I asked God where the finance would come from because NGOs face challenges and I really do not like to be beggarly, but more concerned about adding value and God made a way for me so I started ‘Enrich Limited’ in 2008 with the vision of producing goods and services that would enrich lives, but amazingly, as time went by, people that I went to for mentoring, started asking me for business consultancy, I realised there was a gap in the industry for capacity building, so two years ago I started a business called the ‘Business Side of Fashion’ and we do an annual symposium. We have had the support of Bank of Industry and the likes, but it is majorly for women, so somehow it has been all about women in most of the things I involve myself with.”
‘Empowering Women Series’ is the title of Bamitale’s event which will be an annual one, but for this year, it is in line with the IWD theme, which is ‘Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures’ . She speaks more on this: “The Empowering Women Series aims to identify, celebrate and support young, dynamic and outstanding women, within the ages of 12 and 24, who are doing exceptional things in their field of study or practice, with a business focus and are already on the path to greatness; but can benefit significantly from the success story of an inspiring woman who has already walked the path they hope to walk, connect with and draw inspiration from her.
The young women will be encouraged to apply through a web portal that has gone live already, from the 3rd of February. Following a strict and rigorous internal selection process designed to ensure the right role-model is selected, based on the projects objectives, Tara Fela-Durotoye was selected as the premier focal person for The Empowering Women Series and focal person for The Empowering Women Series 2012. Popularly known as a veteran in the beauty industry, Tara Fela-Durotoye has created a phenomenal success story that would truly inspire and motivate young women in our country and beyond to be the best they can be”
Bamitale adds: “We will showcase them in an event and coincidentally, March 6th is Tara’s birthday, we would celebrate these women, honour Tara and present these lovely ladies to the world. We were looking for a young woman who started young because Tara started by 20. Next year, there will be a different person… when God gives you a vision; you need people to help you run with the vision. On this project, my sister Abosede Alimi has been very committed to this course as the project manager, and I am intrigued by her zeal for social work.”
I could easily tell from my conversation with Bamitale that something definitely was responsible for this push to want to see women succeed, even from an early age and she explained why “I had a flash back some time ago and remembered how God used someone to help give meaning to my life. I was having challenges academically and he kept saying ‘dream on, you can achieve’, because I allowed those words to keep running in my mind, I became the best student in my school. Before then, I was struggling; I was even promoted on trial.
I met my friend not quite long and she was boasting to her husband that I was the best student in the school and I smiled because I remembered my story, where I was coming from and how I dared to change because someone spoke to me. I believe there are many young ladies out there who need to be encouraged in life so they can be what God has destined them to be and this is what ‘Empowering women series’ is about, giving hope to women and assuring them of a better tomorrow b y securing their future today.”
An interesting interview it was for me but I couldn’t end the interview without asking for her parting shots and once again, Bamitale astutely gives it away “It is time for more role models to come out, I want to encourage women to look inwards, if women begin to see themselves a valued, they would begin to believe in themselves and using various undignifying means to make a living would be totally out of it that is why, the youth are the future of today not tomorrow so we are catching them young now.”
