By Ọláwálé Àjàó
While many wealthy Nigerians abroad often forget their roots, a 30-year-old American-born woman of Nigerian descent is making a profound difference, armed not with wealth, but with willpower, compassion, and cultural pride.
Meet Faridat Ilupeju, a primary school teacher and social entrepreneur based in the United States. Faridat, born in America to Nigerian parents from Èjìgbò in Ọ̀ṣun State, has committed herself to improving the lives of underprivileged Nigerians, especially motherless children and the poor across Southwestern Nigeria.
Despite only graduating in May 2025 with a Master’s degree in Design Leadership from Johns Hopkins University, Faridat has never waited for wealth to do what she believes in. Alongside her teaching job, she runs a small business called Kunaya, which sells tiger nut milk made exclusively from Nigerian-grown tiger nuts, an intentional effort to promote African commodities and economic empowerment through diaspora support.
Humanitarian Mission Rooted in Culture
Her most recent return to Nigeria was not for leisure or family reunions, but part of the Fulbright-Hays Yorùbá Group Project Abroad (YGPA), a U.S. government-sponsored scholarship programme enabling Americans to study Yoruba at the University of Ibadan. But for Faridat, the language study was only one piece of a much larger vision.
“I came here to deepen my understanding of Yorùbá culture and language, yes, but even more, to connect with people and serve,” she told Bóṣerí during an interview in Ibadan.
During her stay, Faridat organized six community outreach events, impacting about 1,000 lives. From distributing food, clothes, and medical aid to visiting orphanages and correctional facilities, she’s been hands-on, despite her modest means. With support from organizations like Miss Diaspora Nigeria USA, Masjid Ar-Rahman (Massachusetts), and NCNMO Aspire, she raised over $1,000 to fund these missions.
Her outreach took her to institutions like the FOMWAN Motherless Home and Orphanage, Jesus Children Missions Outreach, Mile 12 Market in Lagos, and even the Nigerian Correctional Service, Agodi, Ìbàdàn, places often overlooked by mainstream philanthropy.
Pageantry with Purpose
Faridat’s journey into humanitarian work took a public turn in 2023, when she competed in the inaugural Miss Diaspora Nigeria USA pageant. Clad in a traditional Yoruba gele and conservative attire that honored her Muslim faith, she stood apart from her peers, not just for her modesty, but for her mission.
Crowned First Runner-Up, she used her platform to launch the Diaspora Care Network, a nonprofit committed to bridging the gap between Nigerians abroad and at home through healthcare, education, and cultural connection. She also founded Born Well Africa, an initiative sparked by a visit to a motherless home in 2017, where she discovered that many children had lost their mothers during childbirth.
“That moment changed everything,” Faridat recalled.“ It opened my eyes to the real cost of maternal health failures in Nigeria. I knew I had to act.”
Walking the Talk
Faridat holds degrees in Health Sciences and African Studies from Boston University, a Master of Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art, and now a second master’s from Johns Hopkins. In addition to Yoruba, she has studied Hausa, determined to communicate with and understand more of Nigeria’s diverse communities.
“I believe that sustainable impact begins with genuine connection, and language is key to that,” she said.
With a growing network of supporters, Faridat is not just offering short-term charity. She’s crafting a blueprint for sustained humanitarian impact, one rooted in empathy, cultural understanding, and deep personal sacrifice.
While her story is unique, Faridat hopes it’s not rare for long.
“There are so many Nigerians in the diaspora who have the power to change lives back home,” she said. “You don’t need to be a millionaire, you just need to care.”
In an age where many turn a blind eye, Faridat Ilupeju is choosing to look back, reach out, and build bridges between two worlds.
And for the hundreds of lives she’s touched, her presence is nothing short of a blessing.
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