Talk about a woman having to wear many hats in her life and you have to talk about Orode Ryan-Okpu. Born in 1989, she is one of the very few who have achieved great feats in giving back to the society from the richness of their souls at a young age.
Whilst studying in Canada at the University of Windsor, Orode, only 18, was driven with a passion to help women fight against breast and cervical cancers after she had lost an aunt to the disease. By 2007, her non-profit organization, Pink Pearl Foundation, was established.
Today is World Cancer Day, but at the founding of Pink Pearl Foundation, not many people in Nigeria were aware of cancers affecting the breasts and cervix. Orode had a lot of soliciting to do both in fundraising and in creating awareness. With a couple of dedicated team members, the foundation took to individuals and organizations for sponsorship, to universities for rallies and to market women, awareness. On her first seminar, PPF was a success, with a thousand five hundred participants. Since inception, PPF has screened over ten thousand women, and offered free surgeries and treatments on cases diagnosed with cancers.
In 2013, in furtherance of the cancer awareness, she produced the movie “
Living Funeral” which was directed by Udoka Oyeka. Her vision is a living success and hundreds of women have been saved as a result of her prowess.
Still in 2013, she established another organization, Exclusive Brands Africa, with an objective of helping Nigerian importers import goods at reduced costs. Adept in business, she also runs a restaurant and oil business.
Contrary to what many may think, her success springs from a generous and selfless spirit, hard work and determination, rather than her renowned background. Orode is the daughter of the former governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan. She is married with two kids.
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This article was first published on 4th February 2016 and updated on February 11th, 2016 at 4:41 pm
nnenna
Nnenna is an editor and writer at Connect Nigeria. She loves fine art, books and places.
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Today is World Cancer Day, but at the founding of Pink Pearl Foundation, not many people in Nigeria were aware of cancers affecting the breasts and cervix. Orode had a lot of soliciting to do both in fundraising and in creating awareness. With a couple of dedicated team members, the foundation took to individuals and organizations for sponsorship, to universities for rallies and to market women, awareness. On her first seminar, PPF was a success, with a thousand five hundred participants. Since inception, PPF has screened over ten thousand women, and offered free surgeries and treatments on cases diagnosed with cancers.
In 2013, in furtherance of the cancer awareness, she produced the movie “Living Funeral” which was directed by Udoka Oyeka. Her vision is a living success and hundreds of women have been saved as a result of her prowess.
Still in 2013, she established another organization, Exclusive Brands Africa, with an objective of helping Nigerian importers import goods at reduced costs. Adept in business, she also runs a restaurant and oil business.
Contrary to what many may think, her success springs from a generous and selfless spirit, hard work and determination, rather than her renowned background. Orode is the daughter of the former governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan. She is married with two kids.
