I have always had a special affection towards humans. I always wanted to listen to people rant to me because I often provide solutions. My father thought us to be kind likewise, my mother. I had also discovered my purpose earlier in life, it is to help people rediscover themselves in any way humanly possible!

I grew up in a local place where most people just wanted to live. We picked a date to celebrate Christmas, we shared our foods, I went to the farm, my parent shared bunch of plantain to our neighbors, we gave to the church too, I went to church, I sang in school, I played hide and seek, I was very young and I didn’t know there was more to life. 

My father passed on when I was just about to resume university and that was when it dawned on me what life meant. I was very depressed for the first time in my life. How could the only father I have be dead? I ask myself this question till date but I guess one has to learn to live with some events in life. I lost a lot of weight, I had no one to talk to that could comprehend how I felt at the time. I needed to let a lot out but I couldn’t.

I had too many unanswered questions, how would we survive? Who is next to die? How would I go to school? Who will sleep by my side?Who would pay my fees, how would I make my mum happy?

I lived with my step brother abroad for almost a year, He saw life in a totally different angle, those were the longest period of my life, my life seemed like it was upside down, I was most times agitated and tensed, even by his car honk, I couldn’t attend my dads burial, I wasn’t put into school as promised, He said few hurtful things to me, I processed these all alone with a lot more. I kept all these to myself just because I didn’t want anyone to get hurt nor be a reason for chaos in the family. Those were the saddest moments of my life till date and this was when I knew, no one ever wants to feel this way nor deserves to feel this way. Everyone plays a certain role in our lives at one point in time. I have forgiven him a long time ago.

Years went by, I now understand how depression works, how life works, how people have a lot to deal with even more than I do, how they have a lot to let out.

Then another one close to me happened, this time it almost took a life, I was home with my ex boyfriend when my phone rang. I initially didn’t want to get the call but I checked my phone and saw a message “I love you Deola, i’m so sorry but I am tired of everything 🤍🤍🤍”.

My cousin was about to take her own life, it was so close! I understood why but it wasn’t enough. Then I came to a realization that not everyone has the capability to deal with situations like I do, so I knew that I needed to be a good listener to humanity in a more pronounced way.

When anyone wants to talk to me, all I want to tell them is, it’s okay to talk to me and I love you. I knew those words were soothing hence, I birthed THE OKAY2TALK INITIATIVE.