Meet Temitope Alao-Sanni. One of DRASA’s Youth Trainers.
My older sister is part of the reason I’m where I am today. As a young adult, I knew I didn’t want to study medicine, nursing, biochemistry, veterinary medicine, blah blah blah. All those complicated university courses just didn’t appeal to me. But I knew I wanted to be in the health sector somehow, in the long run.
My sister, seeing my confusion, suggested a course I had never heard about; nutrition and dietetics. I was somewhat interested but kept thinking to myself, “How can I go to school and study food for 4 years? I don’t even like food that much, so what will I do afterwards?” I resisted, but my sister continued to encourage me to find out more about what the course entailed. She didn’t give up, so eventually I gave in.
And boy, once I started, I knew I had found my passion. It wasn’t just about food.
My sister’s advice set me on a new path in life. Her guidance and support were crucial in helping me discover my passion for global health and driving positive change throughout the world through nutrition. This is part of the reason I believe change begins with 1 individual. From that 1 person, a “chain of change” begins which spreads to another person, and subsequently to communities, and eventually to nations. She sparked something in me that has now become larger than I could have ever imagined.
I volunteer with organizations and initiatives that support underprivileged individuals and vulnerable communities. I support programs that create avenues to help people understand the important role nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation play in the sustenance of good health and wellbeing. I Iove the energy of teenagers and enjoy working with them especially because I believe there’s no better time to guide them and plant seeds that will effect positive change in their lives. The teenage years are crucial and without the right knowledge and support from people who they trust to have their best interests in mind, they can miss out on finding their purpose in life. I experienced it firsthand with my sister. So I know how important it is to pass that forward.
I am a Dietitian/Nutritionist, impacting lives through serial volunteerism, and very proud to be a Human of DRASA.
