My name is Iya Omileti Olubunmi and I have volunteered to assist in helping to obtain funds for the final resting place of a very great man, Baba Omolade Olafemi. He joined the Ancestral World in February of this year at the age of 73. Our beloved Elder is still at the morgue and we have until April 11th to finalize his final resting place. While we are doing our best to collect as many donations as we can. As we are trying to keep costs low, our goal is to reach $1,800.00. We are going to use the funds raised to give him a memorial and a proper burial. Unfortunately, he did not leave any family members or children behind. What he did have in life was a circle of friends who became his family and are now trying to pull together as a community in order to do right by this beautiful soul. We are doing what we can but more help would be so appreciated as we are unable to do this on our own. We are reaching out to all who knew him or who have been touched or influenced by him in a positive way in one form or another to please help us by giving what you can.
There are not enough words to sum up the life of a human being. Although let me start by saying that Baba Omolade Olafemi was a humble man with a big heart. He was an elder in our spiritual house and an elder priest of Obatala. As a priest of the community he helped those in need and at times free of charge. He was a very charitable man. He truly loved Orisha and showed it in his practice of the Yoruba religion. He always spoke up when he saw a wrong-doing, and truly believed that this was the ‘ase’ (power) of being an elder. The power to make a difference in someone’s life.
He also showed his joy through music as he was also a wonderful musician (as seen in the picture above – in the Marcus Garvey Park Drumming Circle in Harlem). He lived for the sound of the African drums. Each drumming circle was led by him with respect and reverence to the ancestors with a prayer and proper libation. He was not only a regular fixture in Marcus Garvey Park’s drumming circle but a very respected figure in the Yoruba community. Baba Omolade, was also one of the founding elders of the Oyotunji village in SC. This is an amazing oasis of Yoruba tradition – and he was a proud chief of this culturally rich place. He was very active in community affairs which involved peace and the development of African American unity since the 60’s. He was a spitfire of a man, and will miss his laugh and ‘Ooooooo’ – which was his favorite response to just about everything.
In Yoruba traditions we take good care of our elders, not only do we pray to them, and provide offerings in death, but also provide respect and love while they are still alive. We are all trying the best we can to come up with the funds and times are hard for everyone. We would like to honor this man’s memory by reaching out and coming together in unity in order to provide him what he not only earned but truly deserves. We may not all be rich but you’d be surprised at how all of us coming together we can make this miracle happen. This alone makes us wealthy in the eyes of our Orishas and Olodumare. We are making his campaign red – to pay homage to his mother Oya which he was also a child of. We feel that he left this earth too soon. We are grateful for whatever amount you are able to provide.
Also, please help us by spreading the word www.gofundme.com/BabaOmolade