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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Hopes for vulnerable Nigerians brightened at the weekend as former Minister of Finance and founder of DashMe Foundation, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, has unveiled a N70 million halfway house for orphanage graduates and launched a new DashMe charity store in Abuja for them.
The feats mark a significant milestone in the foundation’s four-year mission to support vulnerable Nigerians.
The halfway house, completed within eight months, is designed to provide transitional shelter, vocational training, education and mentorship for young adults aged 18 to 25 who have aged out of orphanages, a demographic often left unsupported once they reach adulthood.
Speaking at the unveiling, Adeosun said, “We celebrate a major milestone with the completion of the DashMe Foundation House for the Sought After Women and Children Foundation. The house was completed in a space of eight months.
“This halfway home offers maturing young adults of 18 years to 25 years, who have aged out of orphanages, a safe and dignified space to begin adulthood. This demographic often faces a legal and social gap, with limited support once they reach adulthood.
“The halfway house bridges that gap by offering transitional shelter and access to vocational training, education, and mentorship. It is therefore more than a building as it represents a symbol of hope and transformation. DashMe Foundation has turned the vision into reality.”
As part of its fourth anniversary, DashMe Foundation also commissioned a new charity store located in Wuse 2, Abuja.
It joins existing branches in Lekki and Surulere, Lagos. The store is part of the foundation’s unique model of transforming donated items into funding for social impact projects.
“DashMe Store is four years old, and we are pleased to get the new Store behind us. Tell people to declutter and bring their good quality and gently used and new items here so that we can sell them and send the money to the less privileged, orphanages, the physically challenge, and the needy in our midst, so that we can continue to change lives together,” Adeosun said.
Founder of the Sought After Women and Children Foundation, Mrs. Carol Silver-Oyaide, expressed deep appreciation to DashMe Foundation and Adeosun, describing the new home as a turning point.
“Our vision is to positively impact the lives of challenged women and children, restore hope to the abused, hurting and abandoned. The Sought After Women and Children is an orphanage dedicated to looking after abused women and children.
“The half-way house is going to be life changing for some young people who have overcome some of the worst starts in life and are thriving,” said Silver-Oyaide.
The Foundation has made a broad impact across Nigeria.In Lagos, DashMe donated N7 million to the Last Hope Faith Orphanage. The funds were used to build a permanent home for the children, ensuring long-term stability and security.
At Peculiar Saints Orphanage, the Foundation provided N2.5 million worth of anti-epileptic medication and installed a sensory therapy room for children with special needs, an often neglected area in child welfare services.
In Abeokuta, Ogun State, DashMe Foundation funded the construction of a permanent home for the YAOCH Orphanage. Valued at N20 million, the facility is equipped with solar-powered water systems, durable bedding, and a fully functional kitchen.
It now provides a safe and stable environment for dozens of children, many of whom previously lived in overcrowded and under-resourced facilities.
In Owerri, the Foundation rebuilt the Save the Children Home from the ground up, while simultaneously refurbishing several other orphanages with substantial investments.
DashMe has also empowered many residents of domestic violence shelters by providing them with startup capital to begin small businesses and regain their independence.
The Foundation’s work spans the length and breadth of the country , from bustling Lagos to rural Cross River, and from Kano and Borno in the North to the heartland of Osun State, including notable interventions at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Borno.
Looking ahead, Adeosun said the Foundation was committed to scaling up its operations.
