Victor Ezeja
A non-profit organisation (NPO), Dream Rite, has celebrated its 10th anniversary of mentorship programmes and the provision of scholarship opportunities that help young Nigerians in secondary schools secure their future.
The foundation, which is registered both in the United States and Nigeria, has organised educational and leadership programmes that have also impacted the lives of secondary school students since its inception in 2015.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSpeaking at the event held in Lagos on Saturday, the Executive Director of Dream Rite, Mr Olu Efunwoye, said the organisation has impacted the lives of more than 10,000 young Africans, providing direct academic and career support to about 3,000 students through scholarships, educational and leadership programmes.
According to the executive director, the NGO has awarded 50 college scholarships through the Dreamers College Fund (DCF) since 2021 and has plans to reach more than 500 people by 2030.
Efunwoye said that through the MentorMe initiative, the students are not only equipped with practical tips for success in life but also connected with professionals to guide their academic and career growth.
He stressed that the organisation combines both scholarship and mentorship to give the young ones a well-rounded empowerment, emphasising that “money moves fastest when paired with coaching.”
“Our scholarship program is not merely a source of funds; it comes with a complete package of guided assistance throughout the engagement,” he stated.
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The DCF offers a N1 million scholarship grant to each successful student annually till they complete their studies in the university.
Efunwoye said his ugly experience while in school informed his decision to set up the foundation to help transform the lives of young Africans through education.
He explained that the foundation has criteria for students to be eligible for the scholarship. These include being a young high school graduate or first-year university student in every discipline and undergoing a five-stage application process.
“The scholarship fund is for universities. We have done programmes for secondary schools before, but this one, we are focusing on just those in the university. They have to meet the criteria. I must also say that they have to be less than 25 years old because we want to scale that to the young people,” the Dream Rite ED explained.
The five-stage application process includes: submission of application, review stage, testing (when the foundation conducts an online scholarship test for candidates), research stage (applicants are given a research project to do), and the final stage, which is a physical interview.
“After passing through this stage, those found worthy are admitted into the scheme,” he added.
From three beneficiaries when the foundation instituted the DCF in 2021, the number of college scholarships awarded has grown to 50 as of 2024. The organisation has raised over $80,000 since 2015 for the execution of various social-impact projects. Some of them include organising after-school tutorials for high school students and those preparing for the tertiary matriculation examination, and distribution of educational materials to indigent students.
The executive director said that while they were yet to determine the number of beneficiaries this year, they hope to exceed the number awarded in the previous year.
He said not less than 4,000 people from across the country applied online this year for the scholarship and their applications are currently undergoing the review process. The winners will be announced in the second week of December.
He expressed gratitude to corporate organisations and individuals who have made donations to fund the foundation’s programmes and called for more support by either becoming a partner and sponsoring the scholarship fund or serving as a mentor to guide the students on meeting their academic and career needs.
“We are attracting people who believe in the work we are doing, because we are not doing this for ourselves. We continue to call for funding because we need to move this wheel with funds. The more we have, the more we can do.”
He explained that the organisation has a structured platform and publishes its financial reports on its website every year for transparency.
He hinted that the organisation is making plans to extend the programme to other African countries, starting from next year, in line with its long-term vision. According to him, the countries will be announced later this year.
“We are going to be expanding and replicating everything that we have done in Nigeria in the last 10 years.”
Some of the Dream Rite scholars expressed gratitude to the organisation for the scholarship and mentorship programmes that have significantly transformed their lives.
Daniel Okoye, a 100-level student of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan, said he got the scholarship in 2024 after applying two consecutive times. “Dream Rite has been an integral part of my development. It has helped me a lot, especially the MentorMe programme of Dream Rite,” Okoye stated.
He affirmed that the programme equally equips students with leadership skills to make positive impacts in society.
Miss Balqees Abubakar, a 400-level student of Economics at the University of Ilorin, said the organisation not only provides scholarship funds but also focuses on the career growth and personal development of students.
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Miss Abubakar, who has also passed most of her ICAN professional exams and aspires to become a financial analyst, pledged to deploy her skills in helping to uplift people in society.
It was a gathering of students, parents, mentors, partners, and volunteers to reflect on the organisation’s decade-long journey and renew their commitment to its mission.
Dream Rite scholars whose lives have been transformed by the organisation’s initiatives gave testimonies of their experiences.
The executive director called on beneficiaries of the scholarship and mentorship programmes to become part of the support system for others to benefit in the future.
“A student supported by Dream Rite should, in time, become part of the support system for someone else,” Efunwoye stated.
For support, he called on people to visit the website for more information on making donations.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
