Early Life
Charity Onovughakpo Fakinlede was born on October 31, 1956 in Ughelli Delta State.
She was the first child of Jacob Kesiena Edemadide of Okpare and Alice Edemadide (nee Adogbo) of Okuama.
From 1968-1972 Charity attended Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ughelli.
She attended St Theresa's Ughelli from 1975-76, and completed her Higher School Certificate at Federal Government College, Warri (1976-78).
In 1982, she graduated with a Bachelor in Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos.
Bio
MARRIED LIFE
While at school she met and became engaged to Coli Omotayo Fakinlede, whom she would marry in Edmonton Canada on September 18, 1982. Together they have two daughters.
While Coli worked on his PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Charity earned a certificate in Management and Information Systems at the University of Alberta.
In 1985, Charity and her husband moved to Nigeria -- to Ilorin, Kwara State -- where her husband was employed as a Lecturer at the University of Ilorin. It was a tough time to come back to Nigeria. The economy was in a bad shape and shop shelves were bear due to austerity measures carried out by the Nigerian Government at the urging of international bodies.
When Charity and her Husband relocated from Canada to Nigeria in 1985, they had used a major part of their savings to purchase an IBM XT PC with 10 MB hard disk and 640 KB of memory for $5000. This was to enable her husband to continue the research he had started at the University of Alberta.
However, as times became hard for them, they decided to start a small business center where Charity would offer typesetting and other desktop publishing services to the public using the XT. Thus, in 1987, Unix Computer Center (later Facts Computer Center), was born. It was Charity's management talent and skills that made Facts a financial success.
She perfectly juggled caring for her family and her business, using technology wherever she could. On Sunday mornings, after making her popular pancake breakfast, she would perfectly time her rice cooker to ensure that there was a hot meal of Jollof rice waiting after church.
Charity employed nannies to assist her with the care of her daughters. But for these helpers, Charity's house was not a destination but a turning point in their lives for the better. Whenever a young person of college age came to work for Charity, she would find out what obstacles had prevented them from continuing their education and ensure that they got what they needed to move on in life.
When her husband became a director at the National Mathematical Centre in Abuja, she sold Facts Computer Center, her life's work, and moved with him to ensure that family was not broken. For a few years, she worked as an administrator for several non-governmental development agencies, liaising between international donor-agencies and MDAs of the Nigerian government.
However, her passion for education would lead her back to school to gain a Masters of Education from Athabasca University in Canada at the age of 56. In 2016, she completed a PhD in distance education.
This study period revived her passion and desire for education for all, and also her believe that it was never too late.
She was appalled to discover that the primary school at her mother's village Okuama was in a terrible state: with no teachers, crumbling buildings and no working facilities. Thus, a new challenge was born. With the support of her friends, and by selling her car, she was able to establish the Medaka Technology Center. She used her distance learning training to device a solution for education for children in remote locations that was technologically driven.
In addition, she also started a fishery business in Okuama to help empower the local women.
Her history had imprinted on her mind the importance of empowering women, especially where the education of children was concerned.
She was such a strong positive influence on so many lives. Had she continued to live, there are so many more people that she would have continued to help.
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by
a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded.