Bolanle's Fundraiser for Pathway Dreams Academy

What are you raising money for?

The money being raised is part of a series of fundraising efforts to help pay for the school fees of the children, school books, football training costs (coaches, training equipment), maintaining the camp house where the children are accommodated (rent and maintenance), feeding and kitchen expenses and other costs for taking care of the children in our facility. We also intend to get a small library of books on all topics for the children within the facility. We have budgeted about N15.6 million to cover the expenses outlined above. However, Bolanle wants to use her birthday as a means to raise a part of the funds.

Why are you raising the funds?

The academy needs funds and donations in-kind (food, sporting equipment, books, general supplies. We need these funds and items to pay for school fees, football training (coaches and sports equipment), maintaining the children's accommodation, feeding, and facilitating the various activities the academy carries out with the children in line with its program. The children under our care are all from underserved communities and challenging financial and personal circumstances who have only their football talent and desire. We are supporting these children by taking them into our facilities and giving them access to free education and a chance to improve their football skills at the same time (a rarity in Nigeria, where many sacrifice one for the other). The Academy carries out its activities for free and relies completely on donations from supporters and patrons. So we need all the support and guidance we can get.

What will the funds raised help achieve?

Pathway Dreams Academy's mission is to use football to create a generation of positive agents, who will not only have a fulfilling football career but through quality formal education and leadership training can be people of great impact beyond the world of football. We understand that less than 1% of African football talents ever make it to become footballers, many are from poor homes and difficult situations, and when their football career ends cannot be productive members of society. Pathway Dreams Academy wants to bridge this gap, by creating a platform where these underprivileged children will have access to quality education, skill acquisition and leadership training to give them the required leverage to not just have big dreams, but be able to achieve it. We have a small facility in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria where we house these children and we have partnered with two top schools (primary and secondary) in the area where these students attend (all paid for by the Academy). We are also working on partnering with universities they can attend while pursuing their football career. We believe that with our program, these children will grow to become change agents in the Nigerian football scene. They will not only add value to their communities but will be the next generation to take African football to the next stage.