Birthday gong for Kunle Adegbite, Twindad
Femi OGUNLANA
Dr Kunle Samson Adegbite, the proprietor of Twindad Orphanage Home, Ogbomoso, marks his birthday today, January 7. The dude started making waves in recent times with his eleemosynary gestures especially in Ogbomoso, where he is born. Dr Adegbite, a mental health practitioner in the United States of America, first came into limelight after he dedicated a world class orphanage home located at Hamama area, Ogbomoso, about two years ago. That is an uncharted path in this part of the world but he delved into it, giving hope to the young ones whom he provided home when all seemed lost. The only orphanage home in the city before the advent of Twindad Orphanage Home was the Kersey’s Children Home (popularly called Baby) founded decades ago by an American medical missionary by that name – Kersey, who worked at the the Baptist Hospital, Ogbomoso (now Bowen University Teaching Hospital). The children in his home are well taken care of – a mere look at their physique tells this and they are enrolled in a good private school.
Like the Young Turks who changed the history of Turkey, Adegbite is focused on the transformation of the society but in a quiet way. His recent contributions to society transformation towards making it a better place is a valid reflection of this. Olokiti village in Surulere local government area of Oyo state, where his father was born and grew, amply tasted his philanthropic gesture, last December. He discovered the village lacked water fit for human drinking and for other domestic uses – the villagers still fetched water from brooks also thronged by cattle and other animals – and concerned by this scenario, he donated a borehole powered by solar energy. Not only that, he provided a relaxation/viewing centre fitted with numerous sockets to ease the burden of the dwellers traveling miles to charge their mobile phones. Thus, with the solar electricity they could power the borehole, charge their phones, watch soccer and put to other uses.The day of the commissioning of the projects also witnessed him impacting the lives of the villagers with cash and food donations. He as well made promise to offer full scholarships to secondary school students who are able to make it to the university next academic session.
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Other features of his December of activities were his Twindad Football Tournament with over 40 clubs participating and his semi-outdoor games (ludo, draft and ayo olopon) as well as a novel food competition all providing further avenue for him to touch lives. Handsome prizes ranging from N20, 000 to N300, 000 were doled out to winners in the various categories. He is stirred to make impact and he is unrelenting in this wise. To cap his last homecoming he did what nobody ever did when at the heavily attended annual general meeting of the apex socio-cultural association in the city – Ogbomoso Parapo Worldwide, he announced the donation of a bus to the organization, this is aside a cash donation of N1m which he made at the instant. He said he was surprised the association did not have a bus – and really, no one ever thought of that as far as I know – and so, he promised to make one available. Wherever he went, he was “harassed” by help seekers, making various demands on him but he never cringed from lending helping hand, he never sent anyone away, he did as he’s led. He won a number of awards both at home and in the US in the last few months of 2023 in recognition of his efforts at making life more meaningful to the people.
He is an inspiration. As at today, politics is not an attraction to him, he says, but if he eventually gets pulled into it, he will be a value addition. He is a man given to compassionate ideal, ever willing to assist, unassuming, considerate, a promise keeper, humble and tolerant. For someone to be channeling his hard-earned resources into charity as he does is remarkable and worthy of emulation.
As this Young Turk, adorably called Twin-Dad, marks his birthday today, I heartily rejoice with him (and his family) and wish him many more years of celebration in peace, health, prosperity and a long life, continually dedicated to the service of God and the people. His selfless inclination is praiseworthy and I am happy for him for that rare grace because people of that ilk, they never walked alone. Let his admirers stand to clang whole-souled birthday gong in his honour.
Happy birthday, Twin-Dad!
