Salami and the kids

Ex-Miss Tourism Nigeria and finalist, Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2012, Tomi Lydia Salami has concluded plans to host six beauty queens from different part of the world as part of her effort for the
education intervention for 5,000 needy kids in Nigeria.

Salami, CEO, Aurora International (a beauty, events & lifestyle brand), is hosting the queens from the USA, Canada, South Africa, India, Botswana and Puerto Rico, who are also passionate about touching lives.

While in Nigeria, the queens are expected to help galvanize support for Salami’s pet project, Kits for Kids (K4K) and serve as goodwill ambassadors.

“We are set to stage a massive education intervention like never before for thousands of impoverished kids in Nigeria with special support appearances by these six celebrities and international beauty queens who are also passionate about touching lives,” said Salami.

According to her, since 2013 when she took her passion for helping the less privileged a notch higher through her Aurora Foundation, she has quietly been impacting thousands of lives of impoverished kids across Nigeria.

And this year between 23 to 26 May, she would be giving out brand new school bags, sandals, stockings, exercise books, stationery, lunch bowls, tooth brushes, water bottles and many more to needy kids in public schools in Kwara State.

“In the last three editions, we have impacted over 3000 kids in Kwara, Lagos and Ogun States. But we are returning to Kwara State again this year because we are getting support from the State government to make the donation a lot bigger,” she said.

The beauty queen, an English graduate from University of Ilorin, said in spite of the impact the Kits For Kids Initiative has made on the kids, she deliberately chosen not to make any noise about it all this while because she believes philanthropism or any good deed should be private.

“I’m a very private person and I’ve always done my work silently. Those who know me would know how hard it was for me to make this decision due to my very private nature. However, an uncle told me this a while ago: ‘Tomi, for how long will you keep running away from the spotlight? The cause you’re championing for thousands of people is bigger than who you are as a person – introvert or extrovert. How will the world see, appreciate and support your work if you don’t put it out there?’ And I agree,” she disclosed.

Salami added, “I’m of the opinion that you don’t have to be President Buhari, Alhaji Aliko Dangote or Madam Folorunsho Alakija before one can reach out to make a change. If we can start from what we have now, sooner than we think, the world will be a better place. Our goal is to reach out to 10,000 kids this year and we need the support of everyone to make it come to reality.”

Meanwhile, Salami said the queens are expected to arrive Nigeria this weekend and they will be visiting various tourism sites, including Owu Falls in Kwara State, which is the highest waterfall in West Africa, as well as pay courtesy visits on many dignitaries.