In this Interview, Ola of Fertility Conversations speaks with Olu Fagbemiro of Aneden Gives, about the Lagos Fertility Grant | Read here

Ola of Fertility Conversations interviews Olu Fagbemiro, Founder of Aneden Gives, about the newly launched Lagos Fertility Grant.

Q1: Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am an IVF mom. My first child, Anike Eden, was conceived via IVF. After she was born, I started running to find some healing, so I’m also a 5-time marathoner. In 2018, during one of my runs, I decided to start a charity, Aneden Gives, here in the US as a way to show my gratitude and help other families still going through their fertility journey. Since 2019, Aneden Gives has given fertility grants to families in Houston and Seattle. I am married with two children. I currently live in Seattle Washington where I run my consulting firm, Aneden Consulting.

Q2: What was the inspiration behind starting Aneden Gives Fertility Grant?

While I was going through my fertility treatments and especially after I got pregnant with twins and had a miscarriage, I often wondered why God would let me go through all that pain.

It wasn’t until 2018 that it became clear to me during a run – I could help other families that can’t afford their treatments. I especially wanted to do this in Lagos but we started in Houston where I completed my fertility treatments.

It all started with a few phone calls to get other experts on board and that’s how our Board of Advisors and eventual Board of Directors began. You can read the bios of our fantastic board here.

Q3: You have just launched Aneden Gives Fertility Grant in Nigeria; can you tell us about that?

Yes, we are so excited about this. We launched the Lagos Fertility Grant with The Wait Movie, which opens in cinemas on April 30. Starting on April 30 and through May 31, 2021, families in Nigeria can apply for our fertility grants via our website www.anedengives.com/the-wait-grant. We want to join in the many voices bringing more awareness to infertility in Nigeria and also provide financial support to families in need.

Q4: Having your grant launch with The Wait movie was an excellent way to get the conversation started. Can you tell us how this came about?

It is a really interesting backstory. One of our directors, Tolu Adekunle connected with Mrs. Zaccheaus, the Chairperson of Eventful Nigeria, and we invited her to become the Chairman of our Aneden Gives Nigeria Board of Advisors.

Last year, she mentioned she was executive producing a movie based on her “God’s Waiting Room” book series, The Wait. Tolu asked her to write Aneden Gives into the movie, AND SHE DID! The rest is history.

Mrs. Z., as many people fondly call her, also thought it would be great to launch the grant along with The Wait Movie premier to increase awareness about the grant. We are truly grateful to Mrs. Z, for the collaboration with The Wait Movie and the brave stories this movie tells.

Q5: Infertility and pregnancy losses are still taboo subjects in our society, what are you hoping The Wait movie and Aneden Gives Grant will do to help change this?

All of us at some point in our lives will be waiting for something. The Wait movie beautifully captures this basic fact. So, it’s time to normalize the conversations about infertility, which is when a couple has been waiting to conceive for at least a year.

The period of waiting and trying can be very challenging and our society should support these families during this period. We are excited to join you and many other voices that are busting myths about fertility and educating our society about what families need.

Q6: How much will the Lagos Grant be and how many people will you be providing the grant to?

This particular Lagos grant will be given to at least 5 families. Those families will have their initial fertility testing costs covered and at least one of the 5 families will receive at least N1,500,000 towards the recommended fertility treatment based on their initial testing results. We will also have future annual Lagos grants and will announce the timing of those in the future, this is just the beginning of our commitment to Nigeria.

Q7: Can anyone in Nigeria apply? And is there a specific clinic for this grant?

For this particular Lagos grant, anyone that resides in Nigeria can apply, however they have to be prepared to receive fertility treatments at the George’s Memorial Medical Centre in Lagos.

In the future, we plan to work with other fertility clinics to support more families.

Q8: For anyone reading this, and wondering how to get more information about applying, how can they get more information?

You and I will be hosting a Clubhouse room on May 1 at 8 PM WAT along with some other members of our Board so folks can ask questions about the grant and other general fertility topics

The complete grant application process is also on the grant page. Each applicant must be able to upload their movie ticket for The Wait movie, tag @the_wait_movie, and follow us on Instagram @anedengives.

Q9: Just to clarify; do winners of the grant get the cash amount or is the grant paid directly to the clinic towards their treatment?

Just like here in the US, we have partnered with a clinic, George’s Memorial Medical Centre, for this Lagos grant. All grant funds will be disbursed directly to the clinic. As a foundation, we do not pay individuals any funds

Q10: Do you have a sixial media presence so that people can keep up with the latest updates on Aneden Gives?

To keep up with the latest on Aneden Gives, follow us on Instagram @anedengives. We also have similar pages on Facebook and Twitter.

 

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-This content has been published for free as part of BellaNaija.com‘s commitment to youth, education, healthcare and community development as part of our corporate social responsibility programme