Tobiloba Arewa Adesanya (born 1996) is a young vibrant lady who against all odds chose to pursue what she believes in and passionate about.
Childhood was very traumatic for me as a product of broken home. My parents left each other when I was 3 and I was staying with my mum my 4 elder siblings.
My mum is a business woman so she was not always at home. She was a trader that travels to Cotonou a lot.
Being an introvert as a kid, I was not close to anyone at home. The age gap between my immediate elder sister and I was 5years, so she had her age group as friends. I was the quiet child in the corner who was always reading.
While reading, i learnt a lot about different things and people. Also, as a kid I had very low self-esteem. I see myself as an ugly girl. I always feel my Nose and Lips are too Big. I was not confident in myself at all. I couldn’t play with my mates cause I felt I was not beautiful enough. I hated looking at the mirror or taking pictures. At age 16, one afternoon I looked into the mirror one afternoon and I look so Beautiful contrary to what I thought I was. I started loving myself. I started loving my nose and lips and that was when my confidence begin. I thought I should have a name that reminded me of my Beauty and I chose AREWA which means “BEAUTIFUL GIRL” Yoruba.
At age 18, in 100level I decided to make the name legal by going to the High Court to do an Affidavit to officially include AREWA as one of my names. Then I thought of starting an annual program that helps Teenagers love themselves, discover their purpose from Secondary school before going into the bigger world. Then I started making research and planning for CATCH THEM YOUNG. In my second year in school, I organized the first edition of Catch Them Young with over 100students in Attendance at Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu-ode, Ogun State. We have successfully done 3 editions of Catch them Young in Ijebu-ode Ogun state reaching over 300 teenagers Also, through Catch Them Young we provide a one year mentor on choice of career for the the Students in SS3 preparing for their Waec. Some of these students are in University now reading course that would help them run a successful career. FEED-A-MOUTH Further more, I am the convener of Feed-a-mouth. An hunger eradication projected targeted towards people who can’t afford good food cause of their Current Predicament. Feed-a-mouth was inspired by the need to eradicate hunger in our community.

We did the 1st edition n ERUOBODO HOUSE, a home for physically challenged and abandoned children who can’t even work cause of their state. We donated food and other relief materials to them. The second edition was done at IGEBEBA PRISON, Ijeu-Ode where we visited the inmate, listened to what crime they did that led them to the prison, we prayed and gave them food. The third edition was tagged #lunchwithbeggars where we went to the street to feed the beggars with food clothing materials and get a list of the beggars who are physically okay so we can organize a skill acquisition program for them to get empowered and take them off the street.
As a textile Designer, I also partner with other organizations to teach youths and women Tie and Dye for free as a skill to empower and make them self reliant. Some of the organizations I have worked with are; Precious Stone Foundation, Bridge her Dreams, Solid Rock Foundation, Dreams from the Slum, Gold Wealth Foundation and Sa’adat Bibire Foundation. I do this because I believe Giving is beyond money. It may be as little as just your time or even a skill or sharing a story that would help change someone’s life forever. We are blessed to be a blessing to their people. What is the useful of a gift if it can’t be used to bless other people on this note I make it a way of living to share and give from the knowledge I have.
Tobiloba Arewa Adesanya is the creative director of Adire World. A Tie and Dye textile designing company that believes in connects people’s personality or what a brand stands for to what they wear. Telling story and putting people in charge of their style through patterns with Tie and Dye.