The Sound Kitchen - “My Ordinary Hero”

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This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear a “My Ordinary Hero” essay written by Ibironke Abosede Oyewole from Lagos, Nigeria. There’s also a special song for Eid al-Fitr, so tune in and enjoy!

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Ibironke Abosede Oyewole sent us an essay this week, on the theme “My Ordinary Hero”. These essays are about the people in your community who are doing EXTRA-ordinary things and working to make the world a better place. As listener Pramod Maheswari said: “Just as small drops of water can fill a pitcher, small acts of kindness can change the world.” Let’s sing these so-called “ordinary” heroes praises together! Send your “Ordinary Heroes” essays to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here's Ibironke’s essay:

“Hello. My name is Ibironke Abosede Oyewol. I am a member of the RFI Listeners Club and the Radio Zeater Club. Today, I would like to tell you about my Community Hero, Fakunle Sheriff Ekundayo.

Fakunle Sheriff Ekundayo is a grassroots journalist who lives in Ajegunle, Nigeria. Ajegunle is one of the most densely populated communities in Lagos State.

Fakunle Sheriff Ekundayo’s love for news reporting began in 1993, when he was 15 years old. He saved his transportation fares to buy sports newspapers, and sat his classmates down during break time at school to tell them about what he had read – especially about Nigerian footballers abroad.

And that’s how it started. That’s how, unconsciously, Ekundayo’s journalistic career began.

Fakunle Sheriff Ekundayo studied in the English language and Literary Studies program at Lagos State University. After graduation, he began teaching English in a private secondary school, where he encouraged his students to keep journals of their daily activities - especially the students in the Press Club. 

He developed a new way for his English students to better understand the “comprehension of English” exercises: he had them re-enact classroom activities and write essays about what they had done. 

The students loved it!  They looked forward to their exams!

His writing style soon caught the attention of the school proprietor, who asked Ekundayo to write his biography. Ekundayo accepted. 

The biography became the breakthrough ...
1 May 2021 English South Africa TV & Film

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