Seyi Oluyole - On Nurturing Young Dreams
Interviewed by Ifeoluwa A
In this interview, we talked to Seyi Oluyole, the founder of Dream Catchers Academy, a free formal and arts education institution. The academy runs a residential program that seeks to transform the lives of less privileged girls through quality education, arts, leadership, and life skills to create a future for them. The focus is developing raw talent and giving children opportunities they may not have had.
Ife: How did you start this program?
Seyi: It started as a dance group and later scaled to the academy we have now to create more opportunities for the children. Plenty of girls drop out after Primary or Junior Secondary School because they (sometimes, their parents) think formal education has nothing to offer them. Also, their parents and guardians sincerely cannot afford to sponsor them. There is also the issue of trafficking when they promise girls lives of fame and all or whatnot.
I: How much does it cost to attend the academy?
S: Nothing. It’s free of charge.
I: Absolutely? Wow! How do you pay your bills?
S: Yes. We accept donations and are always looking for sponsors. We have a sponsor-a-child scheme, where individuals pay all or part of a child’s fees and can monitor her progress. People also reach out to ask how they can help. Recently, some of the girls went to perform at an event, and someone decided to start sponsoring them.
I: Does your upbringing influence the work you do?
S: I have always loved the arts, and by the time I was 12, I knew I wanted to be an artist. I was passionate about dancing and very interested in film production. I also tried to write my music. Like many of the girls we have at the academy now, I lived in extreme poverty. My parents worked tirelessly to support my academic and artistic dreams, but their efforts often fell short. There seemed to be an endless cycle of more pressing needs, and that somewhat affected my dreams. I gradually gave up mainly because when you’re working towards something, and it’s not happening, you slowly find other things to do. For most of my teenage years and even up to my early twenties, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life because what I truly wanted was unobtainable then.
When I was about 16, I started teaching children around me how to dance. It gave me a sense of fulfilment. When it was time to go to the university, my dad said he could not pay for me to study Theatre Arts. So, I had to pick another course and eventually studied English and Literary Studies. I have made them proud now. So, it’s all good.
I: All is well that ends well, right? So, how do you choose the participants?
S: It’s community sourcing. From time to time, we go to different communities and teach the children basic things for about a week or two. While we are at it, we look out for children who show more interest and then select some to whom we cater. We also consider their ages and accept children from about 6 or 7 years old. We currently have a 4-year-old, but her case was rather peculiar.
Other times, some girls are referred to us mainly because they are homeless. We consider the circumstances and decide whether to enroll her in the program. For children who are not interested in the arts, we enroll them in regular schools.
I: How do you handle staffing?
S: Whenever there is an opening, we call out for teachers and volunteers. We sometimes get people who are just star-struck trying to volunteer. So, we have a tight screening process in place. We try to be as careful as possible since they would be working directly with the children, and their safety is of utmost importance. We also use agencies and partner with other organizations from time to time.
I: What are some of the other issues you have running the academy?
S: When we get requests from people about sponsoring a child, they tend to lean more towards education than living expenses. Probably, many people forget that a child cannot focus on their studies without a safe place to live.
With the children, it’s teaching them to look out for each other. All they’ve known is choosing and fighting for themselves and getting them to unlearn that can be slightly challenging.
I: Seems like a lot. What keeps you going?
S: The girls inspire me a great deal — watching them grow and seeing how passionate they are.
I: How would you say working with these children has affected you personally?
S: They always cheer me up anytime I feel down. Their innocence is so beautiful to see, although we often disagree because they are children from different homes with various personalities, perspectives and views living together.
Being with them has changed me in a lot of ways. I always believed things should be definite or follow a particular pattern. But working with them has helped me realize that people are multi-dimensional, and how necessary it is to accommodate other people’s preferences, characters, interests, ideas, etc. and look beyond the differences to work together.
I: When you’re not with the children, what do you like to do?
S: I enjoy having ice cream at Hans & René early in the day, just sitting there with only a few people around. It’s a treat for me whenever I find myself on the Island. I also like going to the beach and playing video games when I have the time. I don’t like to lose though. So, I don’t play with people who can beat me.
I: Interesting. What is a typical day for you?
S: My day usually starts with checking my phone for emails, updates, etc., while I walk my dog. Then, I do my affirmations to remind myself that I’m amazing while I get ready for work, head out and take it from there.
I: Is there anything you would change about your journey so far?
S: No. If you had asked me this question last month, my answer would have been yes, but now, I understand that everything that has happened has brought me to this point.
I: Oh. What changed?
S: We just commissioned the school recently, and until I saw the building, I did not realize that my dreams had come true, all the bits and pieces finally added up, and there I was, looking at it. It was then that it hit me, thinking about how far we had come, and I am beyond grateful to have had an amazing team all through the journey. There was a lot of back and forth during the selection process, but I am glad I had picked them.
In 2018, when we had our first viral moment, I did not know all the things I know now. During the building process, I sometimes wondered how different things would have been if I had this idea back then in 2018, but now, I know how to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.
I: So far, what is the hardest decision you have had to make?
S: That would be choosing myself because that’s a thing I struggle with. Some days, I only want to be by myself, but that’s almost impossible when you are working with children. I work every day. So, I’m with the girls most of the time. I even lived with them until recently. I try to take Sundays off, but oh well.
I needed to make my hair one time, but I couldn’t find the time. It was just one thing after the other with the building going on and one of the girls falling sick. I was so overwhelmed that I started crying. I try as much as possible to put my foot down and say no to some things so I can get some alone time, but it’s beyond me sometimes.
I: Does anything worry you about the future? What plans do you have?
S: Considering the nature of my work, I worry almost all the time. I think about the potential and talent the girls have, and I make conscious efforts to assure myself that the girls will be fine, and things will work out for them. I worry that the world will break them or that they won’t have enough opportunities or scholarships to pursue their dreams. I also worry about the other projects we have underway and the biggest of them all, the unpredictability of living in Nigeria.
For the academy, once the Ikorodu branch is up and running smoothly, we would like to replicate the program in other states. On a personal note, I wanted to attend some form of art school or program, and I sincerely hope my body will cooperate.