Impact Wedding.

Some people meet online, others through friends, some at work, and some also during college or at a bar, Church, Mosque, and neighborhood. Imagine you, completely focused, hoping to improve yourself in your life pursuit at a training program only to be pleasantly interrupted with a gift you never asked or was prepared for. We all need special reminders that magical things still happen… all the time, even where we least expect it. We at Impact Your World, wish this couple a blissful and IMPACT-FULL marital life, as we expect our first real IMPACT BABY (in 9 months time). Read their story below.

MY STORY (PRINCE JOSHUA– IYW Leadership Training Alumnus 2015)
It was August, 2015. And I was busy preparing for one of the most important annual projects of my social entrepreneurship life. Two years before this, I had begun a show on UnilagFM to celebrate distinguished alumni of the University of Lagos and named it The Ambassadors Radio Show. With no capital but a zest for the inspiration and transformation of our young people, I had begun this show on the 6th of October, 2013 while in my third year as an undergraduate at the department of Mathematics, University of Lagos. In two years, this radio show project had added so much meaning to living for me and extended my positive influence on several thousands of young people in Lagos and beyond, including winning me the 2015 edition of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards in Nigeria, a U.S curated student entrepreneurship contest. Courtesy of this, I was sponsored to represent the entire West Africa in Washington DC, USA on the global stage where I also won a streak of global awards and recognitions, including a feature on the Voice of America Television in Washington DC and on the World Howard University Radio (WHUR 96.9FM). However, what most people didn’t know was that two major events have impacted what today I am becoming and the first was the IMPACT YOUR WORLD LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE Summit at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos in 2012. I just loved the organization and power-packed style of delivery of the presentations and inspirational sessions.

Fast forward, three years after, I had returned from the United States and just three weeks to staging my annual inspirational and entrepreneurship summit at the Main Auditorium, I got a call from our beloved Mr. Joseph Baiyekusi (a.k.a Father JB) that he wanted me to participate in the special training for student leaders in the University. Finally, I was remembered but I had become busy, especially since this event now prepares to host several thousands every year but he insisted I should make time for it but while I counting the cost of being away from planning meetings, he made a statement that has forever positively shaped my life and destiny. Father J.B said, “Joshua, be at this training and you will never regret it”. It was while at this meeting that I met an amazing lady who sixteen months later has become my Wife!!! I would have regretted if I didn’t marry someone who fit into my life as much as she did. While at this meeting I saw this young lady, Grace Tolulope Oyeniyi (then Ogunleke) as she had this exchange of words with Father JB over the choice of color he made for the tie he was putting on and that got my interest. I knew I needed someone like that by my side in my social work and later it dawned on me God was leading us to get married.

Gracie is a First Class graduate of the University of Lagos, a University debate winner like me, an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society in the United Kingdom like me and a global intern with AIESEC India in Indore, India in 2015. Today, I can say that the IMPACT YOUR WORLD LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE has been a monumental blessing to my life in every meaning of the Word and I am eternally grateful.

MY STORY (GRACE TOLULOPE OYENIYI – IYW Leadership Training Alumnus 2015)
My name is Grace Tolulope Oyeniyi (formerly Miss Ogunleke), a First Class (Hons) graduate from the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos. One of the profound opportunities of my lifetime was the opportunity to meet the best man I could ever have for a husband through the platform of the IMPACT YOUR WORLD LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE. In August 2015, I had received news that my name was on a list of selected First Class students who were listed to attend a special leadership training program for four weekends in the Summer of that year and I was informed via text message from IYW of a pre-training inaugural meeting. In the course of the meeting, I had picked interest in the dress style of Mr. Joseph Baiyekusi, especially as he talked about how we were expected to dress to each of the training events. I never knew anyone took cognizance of my naughty display of wittiness until a week later at the first training, he sent me a note with a letterhead of a UNILAGFM show about wanting to meet with me afterwards. Long story cut short, he was waiting for about ninety minutes this cool Monday evening at the Chapel of the University so he could properly meet me and know how I could fit into his broadcast team as he saw a potential in me for public speaking. One thing stood him out, he never talked about himself or what he did but listened to me talk at length about myself and my achievements. He saw me off to my hall of residence and left.

About 24 hours later, I was entering my hostel (Honors Hall) and saw a flyer for an event and behold, Prince Joshua Oyeniyi was a guest speaker as a Global Student Entrepreneurs Award Winner in Nigeria and the United States. I was shocked! “But he didn’t say anything about this to me”. And while I was walking on the campus a few hours later, I saw this banner about this student event again and a large photograph of a guest was on it and it was Prince Joshua’s. I was becoming humbled and as if that was not all, I got another flyer for an annual event in Unilag’s Main Auditorium and as I was going to see the convener, your guess is as good as mine, it was Prince Joshua. I recall with pleasantness the warm hug I was singled out for and given by Mrs. Odumakinde on the first Saturday of the training after one of my presentations wowed her and the audience that morning. One thing led to another and I had to go pray about having anything to do with him until he eventually made his intents clear and with many divine signs and proofs, I knew God wanted us to become married and today, we are!!!

OUR STORY! (GRACEJOSH2017)
We want to appreciate Engr. Akin Odumakinde for such a unique platform as the IMPACT YOUR WORLD LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE! We deeply appreciate Mrs. Odumakinde for her motherly role and support for both him and the initiative! Our deep gratitude to the awesome Joseph Baiyekusi for being an instrumentality for this union.
God bless Engr Akin Odumakinde!
God bless Mrs. Yinka Odumakinde!
God bless Mr. Joseph Baiyekusi!
God bless the IYWLI Team!
God bless all IYWLI Alumni Worldwide!
God bless IYWLI!