Twenty years after it was founded by the late Dr. Olukemi Celina Adamolekun, Kaleyewa House, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Nigeria’s elderly, has provided aid to nearly 2,000 elders and continues to deliver food and medical care to vulnerable seniors in Ondo State.

The organization, formally registered in October 2001, was created to address food insecurity, lack of medical care, and housing challenges among the elderly. Its first outreach was held in August 2003, a year after Dr. Adamolekun was murdered on May 4, 2002, in Ibadan while on Kaleyewa House business. Her family chose to continue her work in her memory.

Dr. Adamolekun, who held degrees in nursing, psychology, social work, and a PhD in Guidance & Counselling awarded in 1992, founded Kaleyewa House after a 2001 baseline study in Iju and Itaogbolu communities of Akure North LGA. The study identified elders’ three most urgent needs as food, medical care, and rent support for those without homes.

According to current operations, Kaleyewa House distributes food items including rice, beans, and salt to about 450 elders over 75 years old three times a year. An additional 25 beneficiaries over 90 years old, visually impaired, ill, or bedridden, receive six distributions annually. Medical care is also provided bi-monthly in the two communities, with home visits for vulnerable elders.

The name “Kaleyewa” is derived from a Yoruba prayer meaning “a better evening than morning,” reflecting the organization’s promise of “Ageing with Dignity.” Beyond direct aid, the founder’s original vision included building a volunteer culture among retired professionals, supporting universities to develop gerontology programs, and influencing government policy on elderly care.

Dr. Adamolekun’s work earned her two posthumous awards in 2005 and 2010. Kaleyewa House also marked 20 years of service in November 2023.

The organization once received support from the Ondo State Government between December 2005 and 2012. Following Ekiti State’s 2011 law introducing a N5,000 monthly stipend for citizens above 65, four other states — Osun, Oyo, Bayelsa, and Anambra — launched similar schemes in 2012 and 2013. None of those programs have continued, though Abia State passed a similar law this year.

Family members describe Dr. Adamolekun as ahead of her time, noting her early focus on counselling and elderly care at a time when such services were largely limited to developed countries. Through decades of volunteering with the elderly, the sick, and HIV/AIDS patients, she observed the breakdown of traditional family structures and pushed for structured support for aging Nigerians.

Kaleyewa House says it remains committed to expanding care for the elderly amid growing demand and limited capacity in Nigeria’s social support system.