Deborah Kemi Olakunle is the creator of the Art4Health Campaign and CEO of Health4Moni. Fondly called “Kemi the Changemaker,” she is a social entrepreneur with over seven years of experience in the development space. With a first degree in human anatomy and a Master’s in public health, Kemi has a huge dream: a Nigeria where every citizen has access to quality and affordable healthcare without fear of financial burden, regardless of socioeconomic status.
In 2018, Kemi volunteered as a physician’s assistant in rural Nigeria, where she saw firsthand the struggles of the average Nigerian in accessing basic healthcare. Many chose traditional healers or managed their illnesses at home rather than visiting the hospital due to the high cost of medical bills. Kemi witnessed countless preventable deaths and morbidities that could have been avoided with timely medical intervention.
This experience led Kemi to pursue a Master’s in Public Health, focusing her research on universal health coverage and health financing. Her research birthed Health4Moni, an affordable health insurance plan for low-income Nigerians using the daily contributions model (ajo/esusu). This model provides access to quality healthcare, a savings net, financial literacy, and investment opportunities to eradicate poverty.
To this end, Kemi founded Health4Moni, a health tech social enterprise providing affordable health coverage and financial services to low- and middle-income Nigerians. In less than a year, Health4Moni has provided care to over 1,000 Nigerians. She also created the Art4Health Campaign for the Cancer & Chronic Care Fund, an art exhibition and fundraiser to provide health coverage for Nigerians with chronic illnesses such as cancer, sickle cell, kidney disease, and other NCDs.
Kemi is also the founder of the Hub for Social Impact, where she equips young people to become changemakers who solve social problems. She authored the book “We Should All Be Changemakers.”
Kemi was awarded the 2024 Bayer Foundation Award for her innovation in healthcare and was a ONE Campaign Youth Ambassador in 2022. Her work has received numerous recognitions from organizations such as Impact Hub, Futurize UK, 54 Collective, Goshen Impact Fund, and Wema Bank.
On a mission to provide quality and affordable healthcare to Nigerians, Kemi, who recently won the 2024 Bayer Foundation Award for innovation in healthcare, will on Friday, December 20th, host the Art4Health Exhibition for the Cancer and Chronic Care Fund in partnership with the Bayer Foundation, Impact Hub, and HealthTracka at the Impact Hub Ikoyi, Lagos from 5 pm.
The goal of the Art4Health Exhibition is simple: ‘Through art sales, we are launching the Cancer and Chronic Care Fund, a social trust fund that creates health coverage for Nigerians with chronic illnesses such as cancer, sickle cell, heart or kidney disease, and other NCDs’. A short film, “The Gift of Life,” will also be premiered at the exhibition with hopes to spark conversations around social impact and innovative healthcare in Nigeria. Renowned artists Ife Olowu, Painting Prophet, Roseleen Labazacchy, and 4D Truth will be exhibiting their phenomenal artworks at the fundraiser.
On days when she is not changing the world, Kemi is an artist and an avid reader. To RSVP or donate, find details here.
