She trained first as a nurse and midwife, then earned degrees in Psychology, Guidance and Counselling, and Social Work. Her education and professional experiences ultimately led her to devote herself to the welfare of vulnerable people, particularly the elderly. In 2000, Adamolekun founded Kaleyewa House to help elderly Nigerians age with dignity — the name itself a Yoruba prayer for an evening (old age) better than one’s morning (early years).
Some lives end, but their impact endures, speaking through the people, institutions and values they leave behind. Dr (Mrs) Olukemi Celina Adamolekun (née Ajayi) was one such remarkable woman whose life continues to inspire long after her passing.
On Friday, 17th July, I travelled to Iju in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State less as a guest than as a witness — one Fiwasaye old girl sent to see what one of our own had built. It was Dr Adamolekun’s posthumous 80th birthday party, and what I met was not a memorial service, but a party in the fullest sense: food, music, laughter, old friends finding each other in the crowd. Over three hundred guests filled the hall, most of them elders from Iju and neighbouring Itaogbolu, each there because of a woman who wanted to ensure they would not grow old alone.
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Dr Adamolekun was born in Iju on 14 July 1946 and was a prefect at Fiwasaye Girls’ Grammar School, Akure, in the 1966 set. As a Fiwasaye girl, she carried the values instilled by Miss R J Pelly, the school’s first Principal and founder: discipline, excellence, compassion, service, and responsibility. These values were not merely taught; they were lived, and Adamolekun became a shining example of what a Fiwasaye education could produce.
She trained first as a nurse and midwife, then earned degrees in Psychology, Guidance and Counselling, and Social Work. Her education and professional experiences ultimately led her to devote herself to the welfare of vulnerable people, particularly the elderly. In 2000, Adamolekun founded Kaleyewa House to help elderly Nigerians age with dignity — the name itself a Yoruba prayer for an evening (old age) better than one’s morning (early years). Tragically, she was murdered on 4 May 2002, while travelling in connection with the work of Kaleyewa House. Yet, her death did not end her mission.
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One of the most admirable aspects of Adamolekun’s legacy is her family’s determination to continue the work she began. Through their commitment, Kaleyewa House has carried on serving the elderly in Ondo State, marking 20 years of service in November 2023. As Fiwasaye Old Girls’ Association (FOGA), we are deeply proud of them. They have shown that preserving a parent’s legacy is not merely about remembering their name; it is about advancing their values and unfinished work.
Adamolekun’s life reminds us of the profound impact of the education Fiwasaye and Miss RJ Pelly provided to a generation. “Always best we shall remain” is more than a motto. It is a call to excellence, service and responsibility, and Adamolekun lived that motto beyond the classroom.
That same spirit is now being reflected in a full university scholarship established in Adamolekun’s name for students of Fiwasaye Girls’ Grammar School, Akure, her alma mater. What could be more fitting? The young girl who once received the gift of a Fiwasaye education has become the inspiration for another generation to receive the same gift. Through this scholarship, her legacy comes home to the school that helped shape her. Her life began with the values of Fiwasaye, and those values still bear fruit.
Adamolekun’s life reminds us of the profound impact of the education Fiwasaye and Miss RJ Pelly provided to a generation. “Always best we shall remain” is more than a motto. It is a call to excellence, service and responsibility, and Adamolekun lived that motto beyond the classroom. Her story is a fair challenge to every FOGAite and every alumnus anywhere: what are we doing with the values and opportunities we received, and what will stand in our name twenty years after we are gone? We must also remember our ageing parents. Many sacrificed their comfort, resources and opportunities to give us a better future. Their later years should therefore be met with care, dignity and love, not loneliness or neglect.
Dr Olukemi Adamolekun might have passed on, but her legacy remains alive in Kaleyewa House, in the lives of her children, in the students who will benefit from her scholarship, and in every person inspired by her story. I encourage FOGAites, alumni associations, organisations and individuals to emulate Adamolekun’s spirit by supporting the elderly, investing in education and creating opportunities for others.
May our own evening be better than our morning. May we age with dignity, care and peace. And may those who come after us be able to say that we made the world better because we lived.
Always best we shall remain.
Itote Ifedayo is the Global Publicity Secretary, Fiwasaye Old Girls’ Association (FOGA).
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