People who inspire me: Modupe Debbie Ariyo
[Originally Posted on Third Sector June 20 2011 by Jude Habib]
Last week I was privileged to attend the 10th anniversary celebrations of the charity AFRUCA.
The evening turned into a double celebration as the founder and chief executive, Modupe Debbie Ariyo, was awarded an OBE in the recent Queen’s birthday honours.
AFRUCA (Africans Unite Against Child Abuse) is the leading charity promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of African children in the UK. It was established in the aftermath of the deaths of children like Jude Akapa, Victoria Climbie and Damilola Taylor.
More recently it has been at the forefront of efforts to draw attention to and denounce the trafficking of African children to the UK. It is highly regarded by funders and government agencies and was recently on the shortlist at a recent charity awards scheme.
However, when last week Third Sector and other sector press were offering congratulations to sector leaders who had got birthday awards it was disappointing that Debbie wasn’t on any of these lists. And I don’t believe that Modupe or Debbie, as I know her, has been given the recognition she so obviously deserves.
I first met Debbie at the School for Social Entrepreneurs in 2006. I was a fresh-faced social entrepreneur in the process of setting up sounddelivery and she was already on her journey and using her time at the SSE to enable her to take AFRUCA to the next level.
We spent many hours discussing her charity, her role, her challenges and her vision. She offered me support and encouragement and I learnt a huge amount from her. She was a true inspiration.
Five years on, she continues to inspire me and I am not alone. At the anniversary event last week – others took the opportunity to highlight the role that AFRUCA plays. A funder, a journalist and leaders within the African community all shared their stories with the audience. One person in particular stood out. Richard Taylor, father of Damiola Taylor, talked movingly about his return from Nigeria after learning about the death of his son and how Debbie was on hand to provide advice and help him navigate the demands this tragic situation placed on him.
Debbie is a rare breed of third sector leader – energetic, dynamic, visionary and without any ego. She is a role model and we should all be celebrating her achievements.