WORLD Diabetes Day has come and gone, but residents of Bolorunduro, Owena and surrounding villages and settlements in the Ondo East Local Government Area of Ondo State are still basking in the euphoria of free medical treatment they received from a non-governmental organization, Medical Aid and Advocacy for the Vulnerable Foundation (MAAVF).
Medical Aid and Advocacy for the Vulnerables Foundation (MAAVF), a youth-led non-profit founded three years ago by Dr Modesire Akinbogun, who was 18 years old at the time, and her co-founder, Mofeoluwa Akinbogun, currently in the University of Wisconsin Medical School, USA, has continued its mission of expanding healthcare access to underserved communities across Nigeria.
What began as a small organisation has now grown into an entity that has conducted more than 10 medical outreaches and reached over 3,000 beneficiaries.
Right from time immemorial, medical services have always been too expensive for the poor to access. The NGO is aware of the harrowing situations of the people residing in villages, huts and hamlets despite their suitable financial condition. Even communities that are fortunate to have a healthcentre are battling with a draught of health workers and non-availability of medical consumables.
On World Diabetes Day, 21-year-old Dr Akinbogun and her team left their cozy abode in the capital city of Ondo State, Akure, for Bolorunduro which is about 35 minutes drive from the city. Jingles were run on the radio, and seeing this as a rare opportunity, many villagers stormed the Bolorunduro Civic Centre for the free medical outreach.
Dr Akinbogun came with her medical team and partnered with the Federal University of Technology Akure Medical Students’ Association to screen all the villagers who came. Referrals were made while medicines were dispensed to all of them. Follow-up was arranged for people with critical situations.
Dr Modesire explained: “Our focus is diabetes awareness and early detection, so we’re offering free diabetes screening, a health talk, and free consultations. We’re also providing them free medications.
“This isn’t just a one-day programme. After several outreaches, we’ve seen that one of the biggest gaps is proper follow-up. So after today, we will be selecting patients with significantly elevated blood sugar levels for continued care.
“We will cover the cost of their medications for at least six months, along with their tests and everything required to help lower their blood sugar and reduce their risk of diabetes-related complications.
“The main source of our funding comes from donors, especially our parents, Professor Tolulope and Dr Mrs Olubukola Akinbogun. We also partner with organisations that are willing to back our initiatives. We reach out to elders and people who are relatively well-to-do, and we continually work on expanding our network to sustain and grow our funding base.”
Twenty-one-year-old Dr Modesire shared that the NGO held a similar event last year. People were screened for diabetes, hypertension, and malaria. Many had extremely high blood sugar levels without knowing it. For some, it was their first time hearing that something was wrong.
She declared “We also met people who already knew they had high blood sugar but simply couldn’t afford their medications. During that programme, we identified a few individuals with critically elevated blood sugar levels and supported the medications for five of them for a month.
“But when we returned for follow-up, we found that one of the patients had sadly passed away from diabetes-related complications. That experience deeply shaped our approach and inspired this current programme.”
According to Dr Modesire, “This year’s outreach is intentional, carefully planned and driven by a desire to make a lasting difference, where passion truly meets purpose.”
Meanwhile, some secondary school students from secondary schools in the Ondo East Local Government Area were invited by the foundation.
Their invitation was for two reasons. They are seen as change agents, as Dr Modesire Akinbogun and her team enlightened the students on the causes, prevention, detection and treatment of diabetes.
They were told to inform their parents and other residents of their various communities of what they learnt about the ailment.
Additionally, the students were given special motivational pep talks on careers by the medical team. This was amplified by the Area Education Officer of Ondo East LGA, Mrs Tola Adeniyi. Besides, a quiz competition was organised for the students to reinforce what they’ve heard during the talks.
Beyond healthcare, Dr Modesire emphasised the importance of empowering the students academically and psychologically: “We want them to think ambitiously, irrespective of their background. Their environment, their parents’ circumstances, or any perceived limitations should not define their future.
“During our field survey, after meeting with the area education officer and school principals, we discovered that many students do not register for the University Matriculation Examination, sit for the GCE or even complete SS3. Many drop out of school because they believe education holds no future for them. Our goal is to challenge this mindset and motivate them to pursue greater opportunities.”
Explaining why the students were brought into the programme, she said: “Once they understand the signs and symptoms of diabetes and how to prevent it, they can share this knowledge with their families.
“They are in daily contact with elderly members of the community. That puts them in a unique position to say, ‘Mom, I’ve noticed you’re taking too much sugar; please reduce it to lower your risk of diabetes,’ or ‘You’ve been urinating frequently, drinking excessive water, or you have a wound that isn’t healing; please visit the hospital so we can detect any issues early.’ Early detection significantly improves long-term management and outcomes.”
To deepen their engagement, an essay competition centred on diabetes awareness was announced. The first-place winner will receive N150,000, the second N100,000, and the third N75,000. This is both a learning opportunity and a way of giving back to the community.
Reflecting on past outreach efforts, she added: “Our last programme reached about 250 people. For this exercise, we hope to reach 400 to 500 participants, essentially as many people as are willing to attend.”
She further explained the strategic choice of venue: “We selected Ondo East because several communities are closely linked to this area. Last year’s programme was held in Kajola, and we wanted a new location while still remaining accessible. The Civic Centre in Bolorunduro is surrounded by multiple villages such as Fagbo, Owena and Kajola making it an ideal vantage point for broad community impact.”
Dr Modesire concluded by reaffirming the organisation’s long-term commitment, saying, “We will continue with follow-up programmes in various schools and communities to ensure that no one is left out and that our impact is sustained.”
Speaking on the medical fiesta, the father of the co-founders, Professor Tolulope Akinbogun, said it’s about helping the masses, those who need medical assistance from time to time, particularly in underserved areas.
He said: “Although it’s my own local government, so I’m back to my roots. So, we are back at home, and I’m trying to integrate my children back into the community. This is an era of ‘Japa syndrome’ where people travel abroad, and they don’t want to come back.
“But then, if my children eventually decide to travel abroad, I want to make sure that I integrate them into the traditional Nigerian society. Before they become alienated from our culture, I’m trying to integrate them into the society.
“We are also here to encourage the students to develop aspirations for a great future, because I learnt that many of the secondary school students here are not inclined to further their education. In fact, less than 10 per cent of the students take UTME annually.
“It’s not a good story. So, we can’t be champions in the towns or in the cities, whereas our roots are nothing to write home about. That’s why we are here today, and I’m so happy. You can see yourself that the participation, the turnout of this health outreach, is overwhelming. It’s overwhelming that we doubled our efforts to be in control, managing the situation effectively.”
Akinbogun felt fulfilled to see his children impacting society.
He said, “In fact, when we were addressing the crowd, when we came here and we saw the crowd, the surge, we told them that we are not politicians, but we are here to give back. It’s a fulfillment, giving back to the society.
“Let me tell you, I was here about 50 years ago as a secondary school student, precisely, 1976;, there was a philanthropist, one chief named Akinbohun. He gave scholarship to two of my classmates, this is quite inspiring.”
“So, you know, people don’t actually want to give back unless something is going to come back to them in return. But we are here to give out of our free will. Who knows, any of them that will get inspired, motivated and eventually get lifted through this effort?”
“Beyond this health outreach, we have another foundation, Professor Akinbogun and Dr. Mrs. Olubukola Educational Foundation, that targets the youth, secondary school, primary school students that are in need, the orphans or those who have one problem or the other, who cannot afford their education.For now, we don’t have external funding.
“Ignorance is a big disease. People die, in fact, for trivial reasons, because they lack knowledge. And that’s why we are here, to provide enlightenment. And we believe that they are going to take their medical aid further.
“For those whose health screening would reveal a not-so-good report, they shouldn’t see such a report as hopelessness or a death sentence but as an awareness to pay early attention to such health issues. They should be prepared to follow up with their medication if eventually they are found to be diabetic.”
The Executive Chairman of Ondo East Local Government, Honourable Fola Joshua Ogunduyilemi, described the medical outreach as laudable and worthwhile, reaching out to the underprivileged and those that ordinarily cannot access medical care.
“We will monitor the progress of the exercise. And like the promise, where they stop with the care those with critical conditions they will be providing free treatment in the next 6 months, we will take it up from there, I can assure you.
“This report will go to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to let him see what the private sector is doing in our local government to support the activity of the government. It’s not going to be a one-off, that’s why we are really appreciating what they are doing.”
Professor Chief Sunday Robert Ogunduile, former Vice Chancellor of Olusegun Agagu University, also at the event advised the crowd of people present to take advantage of the programme , saying “trust what they are going to bring and then to support them. I believe the community will have a very good story to tell about the event of today.”
He, therefore, tasked government at all levels to check the ongoing Japa syndrome (travelling abroad for greener pastures) among healthcare personnel to save the health sector.
“So I believe that the Nigerian economy has to improve so that those that are going abroad, both legally and illegally, will stay at home and then address the community problems.”
Some of the beneficiaries, most of whom are elderly people, described the outreach as life-saving. A number of them who knew their status said the organizers indeed saved them from untimely death, as they could not afford the medicines prescribed for them.
Through initiatives like this, Dr Modesire Akinbogun and her co-founder demonstrate how passion, purpose, and proactive engagement can transform communities. By combining health education, early detection, and youth empowerment, their organization not only addresses immediate medical needs but also inspires the next generation to dream bigger and aim higher.
With each outreach, they reaffirm their commitment to building healthier, more informed, and ambitious communities, showing that meaningful change begins when vision meets action.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
