Alhaji Muhydeen Okunlola Kayode better known by his sobriquet “MOK” is the founder of MOK Foundation and principal partner at Luxiar Construction Limited. MOK is a philanthropist whose kindness has become a moving train in Kwara State, in this interview with Itan Ayobami, he chronicled his journey of life, background, mission, and vision of the MOK Foundation.
Good morning sir, can we meet you?
My name is Muhydeen Okunlola Kayode, the founder of the Mok Foundation and principal partner at Luxiar Construction Limited.
What motivated you to establish the MOK Foundation?
What prompted me is that I felt I needed to give back to society, I have seen a lot while growing up in the community because there are things that need to be done to enhance government intervention, I believe that it’s very okay for us to give back to the society regardless of where we are and what God has given to us, so to that when I realized that I have one or two things to give back to the society and the community at large, I was able to create a foundation where I need to cover the whole sector, for instance, we have done empowerment, sport, infrastructure, agriculture, security as well. It’s normal for someone to give back to where he started, where he belonged.
What have you been able to do in Education and Scholarship scheme?
In terms of education, we have done scholarships and paid school fees for over 1,500 students which covers Junior and Senior Waec payment and their school fees as well. So quiet numbers of students have benefited from our foundation.
Has your Foundation been able to contribute to economic development?
Yeah, across Kwara South, we have been able to empower more than 15,000 women from seven local governments, in Offa and Oyun local governments we have been able to empower over 10,000 market women, our beneficiaries cut across Owode Market and Oja ale Market, we gave them a soft loan without interest.
What is the effort of your foundation in Agriculture and food security?
Well, we have been able to share food among the underprivileged amounting to over 10,000 people, we started last year Ramadan with 2,000 people at the end of Ramadan we gave over 3,000 people, and during the last Ramadan we gave over 5,000 people relief them, and in the agricultural sector, last year we purchased two tractors for the farmers in Oyun and Offa local government to use it without charging a kobo, they only bought diesel, we provided the operator and maintenance of the tractors, last year we are able to cultivate more than 60 hecares of land, we realized that at the far north, insecurity isn’t allowing them to farm like before so we have provided 50 hectares of land, it comprises two local government of Oyun and Offa, we are going to cultivate predominantly maize and cassava, we are going to employ farmers, provide the seeds to be planted our target is to feed over 120,000 underprivileged with the scheme, the scheme is projected to last for at least two years.
What has been the Foundation’s impact on security?
Well, in the area of security, we have covered two categories, firstly we powered streets and secondly, we powered transformers because we have serious cases of cable vandalism now and then, which affects the residents. In Offa alone, we have powered more than 120 transformers, before we powered those transformers, there were weekly reports as regards cable vandalism, but since we started the lightening the cases have reduced drastically, and we haven’t stopped at that, we have been able to empower the communities security outfit with resources and gadgets including monthly stipends.
Are you able to carry people living with disability along in your programs?
The disabled are a special set of people, Yorubal calls them “AKANDA” They are special because of their situation which has denied them rights to achieve certain things, in everything we have been doing we are able to seclude them m, so we have been treating them specially because of their situation, their conditions attracted our attention because there is limit a to what the can do.
Has the Foundation been able to touch the health sector?
Yes, in the health sector, we picked a special interest because we realized that people died untimely because of little money they were unable to pay, so the MOK Foundation partnered with primary health centers, we have a form that the underprivileged who visit the hospitals fill, then the hospital will contact us to assist such people, we have been able to pay for over 1,000 patients.
What is the relationship between the communities and the MOK Foundation?
As I have said, I lived in the locality, while growing up, I moved around, people I moved with were older than me, I asked questions, and I was able to hear a lot from them, so when I established the MOK Foundation, we were able to pinpoint the problems, we are able to achieve that because of the genuity of the Foundation.
What have been the major activities and impacts of the Foundation?
Yes, the Foundation has given me more insight into people’s well-being, we have done a lot, too numerous to mention, and the communities appreciate what we have been able to do for them in the last year.
What is the MOK Foundation’s Future Plan?
Well, it took us about two years to plan the Foundation, so the plan is that the Foundation will sustain itself for over 40 years even if I am not alive, the Foundation will still be running, it’s my desire and nothing will stop it.
Your political view and orientation?
Leadership is something we need to possess, with it without politics, the Foundation has come to stay for at least forty years, if I have any political ambition definitely can’t last for forty years, from the feedback we have received from various communities we are very glad if they want us to lead there is nothing we can do, we would accept to lead, but in all fairness, we are not running the Foundation in relation to politics, we are genuinely giving back to society.
What’s your final thought?
As I have said, politics is not part of the Foundation’s vision, but a call from the communities is not what we can turn deaf ears to, thank you.
