Venture Spotlight – NI’mah Andre Foundation
Venture: Ni’mah Andre Foundation
Founder: Iresalewa Muhammed-Bello
Impact: Fully paid for over 80 medical emergencies through crowdfunding
Funds raised: $40k +
Story:
Ni’mah Andre foundation is a non-profit organization with a core focus on driving inclusivity and access to quality medical care for all, especially the less privileged who would otherwise not have access to this. Their mission is to offer sick beneficiaries and their families another chance at good health by making funds available for their medical needs and promoting health and well-being among Nigerians. The foundation was borne out of the founder’s passion for helping many less privileged individuals around her to access funds to meet their healthcare needs.
The founder, Iresalewa Muhammed-Bello, is a 25-year-old Filmmaker, Visual Editor, Colourist, Visual Effects Expert and Graduate of Mass Communication. Iresalewa was a recipient of the 2020 Youth-in-Development (YID) Fellowship by Sozo Networks and Impact Toolbox. She recalls the YID as a rewarding experience during which she engaged with the Impact Toolbox Curriculum. She is a development enthusiast interested in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 – No Poverty, SDG 3 – Good health and well-being, SDG 4 – Quality Education and SDG 17 – Partnership for the goals. She describes the Impact Toolbox experience as a milestone in her journey as a change agent. Before the program, she had some volunteering experiences with NGOs that focus on quality education and zero hunger and a few leadership experiences with media-related teams. Her experience with the Impact Toolbox program spurred her to learn more about social entrepreneurship. In June 2021, she launched her own social venture.
The Ni’mah Andre Foundation offers sick beneficiaries and their families; chances at good health by making funds available for their medical needs and promoting good health and well-being among Nigerians. She aspires to build the foundation to become the first contact for beneficiaries and donors interested in promoting good health and access to quality healthcare for Nigerians. According to Iresalewa, the Impact Toolbox curriculum and the YID fellowship experience was a significant boost to her aspirations as it “educated and positioned me to transform my passion into a structured NGO solving the problem of health care financing to reduce the high mortality rate. “The Ni’mah Andre foundation has received and verified over 100 cases, we have raised over $40,000 to support 85 people in need of critical care, including 20 major surgeries. In April 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, we dedicated more time to pregnant women and new moms requiring funding for emergency childbirth or who needed help with their ante-natal essentials. We have since then funded 3 emergency C-sections and provided maternal health interventions to several women.”
“Since the launch of Ni’mah Andre Foundation, Impact Toolbox have continued to mentor us, including awarding us a grant to cover company registration and web development. Beyond this, my grant and pitch writing skills, networking, and leadership skills have increased by about a hundred percent (no lies), and I work daily to position the Ni’mah Andre Foundation further to achieve her goals.
