My name is Ooreoluwa Bamiduro. I am a Specialized Project Officer at The Alternative Bank. Beyond my career in finance, I am deeply passionate about community development. In 2023, I founded Hope Haven for Indigents Initiative, inspired by a deeply personal experience in 2022. Through Hope Haven, we fund medical procedures and provide medications for indigent patients in Nigeria giving them renewed hope and a second chance at life.
For more than five years, I have also volunteered in the non profit space with FAME Foundation in Ibadan. We teach leadership, values, and purpose to public secondary school students. Mentoring over a thousand young people has been one of my most rewarding experiences.
My academic journey began at the University of Ibadan, where I earned both my Bachelors and Masters degrees in Geography. These experiences nurtured my understanding of global challenges, especially in education, health, and finance and planted the seed for my desire to create lasting solutions in these areas.
Despite all these, when I first considered applying for the Chevening Scholarship, fear almost stopped me.
The deadline was close. My calendar was full. Over 102,000 people worldwide were chasing the same dream.
One thought echoed in my mind: What’s the point? You won’t get it.
But in a quiet moment, I heard a whisper: Apply. Dream.
And so I did.
Months later, an email arrived. I had been chosen. Out of over 102,274 applicants worldwide. only about 1,500 scholars were selected this year and just 40 Nigerians made it.By God’s grace, I am one of them on my very first application. This is not to say I hadn’t applied for other scholarships in the past. This year I was chosen for Chevening and Thing big scholarship at the University of Bristol.
This September, I started my Master’s in Global Development at the University of East Anglia as a fully funded Chevening Scholar
For me, Chevening is not just an academic opportunity, it is fuel for my mission:
to create solutions in education, health, and finance,
to amplify the voices that deserve to be heard,
and to uplift those who are boldly navigating challenges that seem insurmountable.
I am deeply grateful to my family my rock; to friends who believed in me when I doubted; to my bosses and mentors who inspire me daily; and to chevening, to the foreign commonwealth and development office , and the Uk in Nigeria community, for believing in my dreams.
This award is dedicated to the students who have shared their journeys with me, the patients my community has walked alongside, and the dreamers who continue to pursue their visions with courage.
I almost didn’t apply. But I did.
And now I know:
When God calls you to dream,
He will move mountains,
open doors,
and fund what you thought was impossible.
My advice to those applying for chevening is: Believe fiercely in yourself and your story no one can tell it better than you.
Clearly show how your vision connects to the UK’s priorities in your field and how you plan to multiply that impact.
You already carry the potential to change the world; this scholarship is simply a platform to unlock it.
IG-@Ooreoluwa
Linkedin-Ooreoluwa Bamiduro
#ChosenForChevening #Chevening #StudyInTheUK#OoreoluwaBamiduro
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