This is Dammy (Damilola) Feyide. She was in her 20s when she returned from the UK to Nigeria in 2017, ready to complete her NYSC and likely head back abroad. But today, the story is completely different.
What started as a one-year service term became a lifelong mission. One afternoon, a nudge from the Holy Spirit caused her to stop her car at a correctional center. She didn't see "criminals" or "street kids"; she saw a reflection of Jesus’ heart. She saw children with doctor-sized dreams living in paint-starved realities.
She started by giving money to children on the street and going to the correctional facility with gifts, but the Holy Spirit kept convincing her that there was more. That conviction led to the birth of Let It Shine Academy (LISA), a FREE boarding school for secondary school students in Lagos, Nigeria.
About 270 students are enrolled in her school. No tuition fee, no hostel fee, no feeding fee, no uniform fee, no textbook fee, everything is provided for free. A standard private secondary school for free in Lagos.
In a society where many children are pushed to the margins because of poverty, instability, family background, or lack of access, she chose to create a place where children can still dream, learn, grow, eat, create, think, and become who God wants them to be.
Today, LISA is a beacon of high-quality, completely free education. While the foundation is built on Christ’s love, the school is filled with children of all religions.
As I shared with my sisters Grow Her Faith Fellowship last week, faith isn’t a wall to keep people out; it’s a bridge that invites everyone in. When we serve, we don’t ask for a creed; we look for a need.
We often ask ourselves, "What is the meaning of life?" The answer isn't found in the degrees we earn or the titles we hold. The whole essence of man is to live for impact. We are stewards, not owners, of the grace we've been given. If your life doesn't leak hope into someone else’s darkness, are you truly living?
Impact isn't about having it all figured out. Dammy didn't have a background in education; she just had a "Yes" and a God who backs those He sends.
I love women who live beyond applause, who are not just building names, but building lives. Women who are not waiting for perfect conditions before they begin, women who understand that purpose is not always glamorous.
Dammy’s work reminds me again that impact is not about how many people know your name. It is about how many lives breathe better because you obeyed what was placed in your heart.
Education is one of the purest forms of impact. When you educate a child, you change their language, their exposure, their confidence, their options, their family story, and sometimes, the direction of an entire generation.
That is why I will always be drawn to people who build in this space, because clarity helps people see, education helps people rise, and impact helps people live better.
Dammy carries all three with conviction. I believe she deserves to be celebrated.
Today, I celebrate Damilola “Dammy” Feyide, for choosing to be a bridge between disadvantage and dignity, between “someone should do something” and “I will start where I am.”
May we never become so busy chasing visibility that we forget the beauty of living for impact, and may more women rise with the courage to build what they wish existed.
Let this be your stir to action: Stop waiting for the perfect timing or the full bank account. Go where the burden is, go where the heart breaks. Just as Dammy shows us, you won't know how deep the well of Grace is until you start pouring it out for others.
Dear Dammy, keep living purposefully and intentionally; the heavens are documenting your impact.
Tolu lope Ajayi
#impact #freeschool #nigeria #education #Bugatti
@Olawoleaa Yes, these policies have brought short-term challenges, but many of them are aimed at fixing deep-rooted structural issues in the economy. Removing the fuel subsidy, for example, was never going to be easy, but it’s a step toward reducing waste and redirecting resources into
@Olawoleaa I understand your concerns, but I think it’s important to also look at the broader picture and the long-term direction of the country. Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the APC, some very bold and necessary decisions have been taken—especially around economi
Few days ago Eric Chelle was at Olympique Marseille.
Yesterday, NFF President claimed Eric will remain as Super Eagles coach.
Now, Chelle is reportedly on Olympique Marseille short list as De Zerbi replacement.
Can you see the pattern?
If I talk now you people will say I hate Chelle!!!
Dear @unilagspgs , why do students have to pay for convocation and the gown only to get a mail that they won't be able to access the convocation hall due to first come first serve basis as per the first 1,200 people who paid first. This isn't good in my opinion @UnilagNigeria
I don't even know where most of my secondary school mates are..... all of us just commot school like say na the end of our lives.....no connections whatsoever.... Life sha #myrandommusings
For all those asking for Mr President to resign, who then becomes President?
Let it be clear that another President will face the same fate.
It isn't about the resignation of the sitting President.
I come in Peace .
Ire oooo
No one should be made to live in fear . This has to stop..... We used to coexist peacefully before now, so what changed?
Dear Lord, Help Nigeria to be great and peaceful again. Amen
Life is indeed transient..... Person go greet person wey him younger sister die for afternoon, not knowing that her own Elder brother go die for night...... Life....... May God rest the souls of the departed and grant the family the fortitude to bear these losses.Amen
I completed my Coursework for my Msc In Sociology 2days ago. Resuming back to work today and I feel a level of emptiness like i need something else to fill me. Is this a sign to pick up another course or just wait to proceed on the Joirney to PhD?
#Myrandommusings
My Submission, any woman/lady that drinks beer is a man, she deserves to be a breadwinner. Because tell me why you're drinking 4 bottles of Trophy at a bar... what happened to smirnoff and flying fish? But you chose Trophy . #myrandommusings