About Us
The Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation (IIF) is a nonprofit organization created to raise awareness on issues pertaining to infertility and to provide grants for couples that require fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination. we partner with highly reputable fertility clinics in nigeria and with other donors to provide couples with the financial and material support they require during the treatments. we also provide the necessary psychological and spiritual support they require to deal with the pressures they face along their journey to conception.
IIF GRANT We understand the financial strain that comes with pursuing fertility treatments and have determined that it should not be a barrier to your dreams of parenthood. The IBIDUNNI IGHODALO FOUNDATION grant has been set up to make sure that those dreams come true. This year, the Foundation will be giving 10 couples grants that offer funding towards fertility treatments of various kinds. It would be recalled that in 2016 the foundation partnered with certified fertility clinics in Nigeria to provide fertility services to 28 couples dealing with the financial strain of fertility treatments. Success stories from the first batch include 15 successful treatment, 5 confirmed pregnancies, 1 successful delivery and our 1st set of TWINS (2 adorable baby girls) have arrived.
Our VISION To have every couple enjoy the gift of parenthood regardless of their financial or social status. The Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation has set out to create the avenue to make this a reality by providing the spiritual, financial and psychological support couples require along their journey to parenthood.
Our MISSION To raise awareness about infertility and the challenges associated with it. To stop the stigmatization of couples dealing with infertility and to provide the spiritual, financial and psychological support they require.
The
IBIDUNNI IGHODALO
Story
IBIDUN was the founder/CEO of Elizabeth R Events. She formed the organisation in 2003 to specifically service private and corporate events. Elizabeth R’s success was predicated primarily on referrals bourne out of positive and satisfactory experiences by clients. Ibidunni’s boundless enthusiasm, energy, creativity and imagination backed by years of events planning experience, assured clients of a unique, memorable and successful events always. She held a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. After her graduation she worked at Athysolyn Oil and Gas, then moved on to Manifold Engineering Limited before establishing ELIZABETH R. The beauty queen was crowned in 1999 as the first Miss Lux. She was also awarded Young Entrepreneur of the Year, City People Awards, 2007.
I
n 2016, Ibidunni founded the IBIDUNNI IGHODALO FOUNDATION. This foundation was bourne out of her own peronal struggles. As a newly married couple in 2007, Ibidunni and her husband, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo looked forward to starting their family and holding their children in their arms.
However, they watched the years roll by without a child. After several doctors' appointments, they were told that they wouldn't have children unless they sought treatment through assisted reproduction. This was the doctor's report they received, but Ibidunni and Pastor Ituah chose to believe God's own report. Unshaken in their faith, the couple firmly believed that they will carry their own children. This period of delay also came with pressure and a lot of insensitivity from people. Ibidunni had to deal with the emotions, pain and the roller-coaster hormonal imbalance that came with all sorts of these treatments. Thankfully, Pastor Ituah was an amazing support system for her and was always there for her through all the procedures; unflinching by her side.
About Us
Along ferttility journey however, Ibidunni met women who only needed one round of a treatment to make their dreams come through (she had gone through nine). The only thing holding them back was either the lack of The Ibidunni Foundation non-point she decided to stop thinking finance or the psychological support neededIghodalo to get through it. It(IIF) wasisata that profit organization created to raise awareness about herself and start trusting God to help these couples fulfill their dreams on of having their children.
issues pertaining to infertility and to provide grants for couples that require fertility treatments On the morning of her birthday in 2016, Ibidunni thought about having had children long and hard while such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and not intrauterine praying. There and then, she made a covenant with God and told Him that she would leave it completely in His insemination. we partner with highly reputable hands. In the interim, as she and her husband waited for their miracle, she would help couples going through the fertility clinics in nigeria and with other donors to same challenges by providing spiritual, andthe psychological provide financial couples with financial andsupport. material She was ready to do her part to get rid of the stigma attached to childlessness. wanted to instead support theyShe require duringpeople the treatments. we see couples-in-waiting as blessed also thinking provide the necessary psychological mothers and fathers of nations! Upon about the weight of thisand dream, she started out feeling a little spiritual support they require to deallose. withHowever, the reluctant especially when she thought about the privacy she might when she thought about the they face along their journey unending joy it would bring to people's pressures lives, it seemed to her that it would betoworth the sacrifice. conception.
She made up my mind to stop worrying over childbearing and just trusted God while helping other couples through their own fertility journey. As she prayed and mulled over the idea, she felt peace and that was how the IBIDUNNI IGHODALO FOUNDATION was born! As part of IIF’s plans to raise awareness on issues pertaining to fertility and bring hope and joy to many homes, the organisation partnered with a number of fertility clinics with high success rates that were willing to help with discounted costs for treatment. IIF also had partners that help subsidize other medical bills while raising awareness about fertility issues alongside. Parenthood is a reality that should not be denied to any couple .
Ibidunni was passionate about Family and women development. She was a gracious helper and problem solver, anointed to bring emotional healing to hurting women and families through the teaching and preaching of God’s word. She was at the forefront of giving hope to families waiting on God for the fruit of the womb, with the belief that parenting doesn’t have to be only via natural conception. She presided over the non-profit organization in Lagos until her demise. An organization dedicated to making sure that husbands and wives are given an opportunity to become parents even after being diagnosed as infertile. Through IIF several babies have been birthed and hope restored as the foundation has assisted in funding the IVF cycles for various couples. In addition to her university degree, Ibidunni also got training in Business Management from the Lagos Business School. She was a Fellow of the National Institute Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) and a recipient of many awards during her lifetime. She was a Pastor at Trinity House Lagos and was married to Ituah Ighodalo (Senior Pastor Trinity House), she was a dedicated mother of 2 children, and a guardian to many more.
Light
at the end of the tunnel
“
I made up my mind to stop worrying over childbearing and to just keep trusting God while helping other couples through their own fertility journey�
SUCCESS
Stories BODUNRIN AND LOLA OYE
H
usband is an IT personnel and the wife owns a preschool. They have been married for 8 years now. They tried different fertility treatments ranging from taking pills and supplements, to IVF/ICSI. ICSI was recommended by the consultant we were seeing at the time, based on her husband's low sperm count and my PCOS. They heard about IIF Grant through BELLA NAIJA. Due to the initial failure of their previous IVF cycle in which they had so much hope and belief they were not motivated to initially apply for the grant. They however did after much encouragement from each other. Fortunately they were among the last batch to be selected to access the 2016 IIF Grant for the IVF treatment. However Lola didn't have much faith that the treatment will work due to her previous disappointment. She decided to play safe by not putting all her faith so as avoid another round of disappointment. Fortunately for the couple and us at IIF the treatment was successful amidst various complications. One thing that stood out for the couple was the love, support and prayers they received from their family members. Lola was never stigmatized by her inlaws instead they supported her with the belief that she will one day have her own babies. Her family concur that indeed God makes all things beautiful in his own time alone. The journey of 8 years with over 170 injections and a supernatural God ended with the birth of two adorable twin girls named OLUWATONIMI AND OLUWATOMINI.
&
Oluwatonimi Oluwatomini.
Even as children, most girls have an innate ability to be mothers and to nurture. You see this when they decide to play games such as 'Daddy and Mummy'. Within a second she is seen comforting a baby doll or a makeshift one, feeding it, singing to it, pacifying it and all sorts of things mothers do to bring relief and comfort to a child. Little wonder that they look forward to the day these acts will no longer be mere acting but will become a reality… THEIR REALITY. I was one of such girls and oh how I longed for the day I would get married, become pregnant and finally carry my very own children, my flesh and blood, mine and my husbands mini-mes. I did everything 'seemingly' right by the book, I groomed myself well, took care of my body, kept my body intact and just waited. Finally the day came when I was to get married to the love of my life, the one who I couldn't wait to have babies with and with excitement and happiness we said I DO… Naturally, we started trying to conceive but all efforts ended up with no positive results. We went from doctor to doctor, country to country each giving their own diagnosis and each prescribing their own solutions. It was devastating to say the least. After the eagerness and waiting I would eventually find myself part of the statistic of people suffering from the dreaded word, INFERTILITY. We took all booster drugs suggested and prescribed, we changed our diets and we eventually decided to go through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). We had heard so much about IVF, we felt this was our best chance to conceive and finally become parents in our own right. The process was excruciatingly painful and all our privacy went out of the window. We didn't mind going through it all as long as our goal to finally become parents was going to be realised. We pushed and pushed…. 10 years down the line and 11 IVFs later we were no closer to getting our own children and all hope seemed to be lost as we couldn't think of any other treatment to undergo. 11 IVFs was no joke! The financial, emotional and physical strain it put on us was enough to make any marriage crumble but somehow it brought us closer and made us love even deeper. Despite all we had been through our love and desire for children never waned. It was as strong as ever or even stronger.
At some point we began to discuss the possibility of ADOPTION. Coincidentally, the love we had for children had made us start up HERITAGE HOMES an orphanage 10 decades ago to cater to abandoned and abused children. This orphanage had grown to have two branches and had housed and loved hundreds of children over the years. It was however not a very welcome discussion because of course what would society say? If a pastor and his wife have resorted to adoption, what hope does this leave for our members as regards trusting God for their own miracles and bundles of joy. However the more we thought about it, the more the idea became more and more appealing to us. Eventually, we hit a revelation that even we as Christians were adopted into the body of Christ. We were not originally part of Gods family but God so merciful decided to bring us into the family by adopting us through His son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. People like Moses and Esther were also adopted into their various families and their lives were never the same again. Jesus was also adopted by Joseph. Thus we began the search for a child again but this time not via natural birth or IVF but via adoption. We were so determined we did not allow 'what ifs' become stumbling blocks in our quest. On this journey to adoption, we found that there were so many abandoned children whose parents for one reason or the other decided they did not want them again. So we came to the conclusion that even though these kids will not know the love of their biological parents, there was no reason why they shouldn't feel the love of a mother and father. After all, whilst playing the mummy and daddy game as children, we showed those dolls who were lifeless care and love, how much more a living being. We eventually registered our interest with the state government and plans were underway to begin the process of finally becoming parents. It was such a scary but exciting journey. Once our papers were approved by the ministry we set to work looking for our child. Naturally, our orphanage was the first one we looked at to make our choice. It wasn't easy, these kids had all been a part of our lives so having to select just one to be officially adopted as ours was equally as heart breaking as it was joyful. Nevertheless, we decided to adopt a lovely lovely girl aged 5. I always say that God has a sense of humour. This girl had been born into the orphanage. And as is tradition, all children born or brought into the home are named by my husband. She was born on the 19th of July and as soon as my husband was told, he exclaimed and said well since she was born on my wife's birthday I will name her Olajumoke (my middle name). Isn't God a master planner? Several years later we didn't even remember all these facts till documentation time and then we realised all along that God had been behind the scenes working things out in His own way. Our home is blessed with a wonderful girl who has brought with her love, laughter and light. The love we have for her is as though we physically bore her. She has fitted in perfectly into our family unit and honestly I wouldn't have it any other way. This gave us HOPE for the future. To hear those words, Mummy, Daddy and to be responsible for raising a child is a blessing and a privilege. For anyone out there thinking that they may never experience this joy, don't close your heart to the option of adoption. There are so many kids to love and if only you can dig deep into your heart, you will find that there is more than enough love to shower on those kids. Don't give up, don't despair, show loveand receive it back in full measure.
IBIDUNNI FOUNDATION 18b Olu Holloway Street, off Kingsway Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. t: 08114404754 e: ibidunnifoundation@gmail.com. w: ibidunniighodalofoundation.org