RICHMOND, Va. -- An after-school program at the Richmond Alternative School is giving kids the chance to just be kids.
"Everybody should get a chance to have a fun childhood", said Kwame Adeyemi, Executive Director of the Osiris Foundation.
The second chance school has no sports teams and students rarely get the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. Adeyemi says his organization helps to empower the students.
"We are not a sit-down and talk to kids and preach to kids, we want to be interactive and engaging," Adeyemi said, describing his organization's approach.
The Osiris team helps kids learn to resolve conflict in a peaceful manner.
"You look at the stats, the community violence within the city, especially amongst our young people, (they) are continuing to increase, so, yeah, I just want to be a part of the solution," Adeyemi added. The full-time entrepreneur started the non-profit two years ago with his own money. His work at the foundation is extremely personal.
"Osiris was my son's middle name."
His son, Kimani Osiris Donovan, died in 2020 after a violent encounter at the Chesterfield Towne Center.
"He was there with his friends, just having a normal typical day in the food court," Adeyemi explained. "Unfortunately, the individual who he was in a conflict with resorted to a firearm. My son was taken to a hospital and fought for 12 days you know, multiple operations. We thought he was going to make it, but he didn't," he said.
The once standout athlete at Deep Run High School was 22 years old.
"He was a young man with a radiant smile," Adeyemi said while reflecting on his son's life. The grieving father is using his tremendous pain to create change.
"The way that I felt at that time needed to be harnessed in a way that could be beneficial and helpful to others," he said while sharing his intention for creating the Osiris Foundation. The foundation serves a dual purpose. "My mission is to really help young people realize their full potential," said Adeyemi. It also helps him heal. "I see my son in all the different people I interact with, and I cross paths with in some shape or form."
Adeyemi hopes to expand the foundation's year-round after-school program to seven days a week to reach more kids at crucial times.
"That's when some kids are home by themselves, and those are some of the peak times when things are occurring," he said.
The number of participants varies from week to week, but Adeyemi is focused on his impact, not the numbers.
"By providing the positive programming that we provide here, specifically at this school, I think that it helps to reduce the opportunities for them to get into certain situations that might not be so positive after school and out in the community," Adeyemi said.
This year, the Osiris Foundation secured a number of grants to help pay for supplies and some staff members, but Adeyemi says more support is needed, especially in communities where violence is prevalent.
"No non-profit can do this work by themselves," Adeyemi said as he talked about the great need in Central Virginia. "I want to connect with anyone and any organization that’s willing to do the work because it's not easy. It can be challenging," he added.
It's challenging work, but Adeyemi is focused on the bigger picture.
"I think the long-term impact is that we help reduce some of the situations that are occurring in the community that leads to violence," he said. He says his son won't let him give up. "I can feel him, I can hear him talking to me and he always tells me, you know keep going dad, keep going," Adeyemi said.
The Osiris Foundation is always looking for volunteers and donations. You can find more information about the organization by visiting its website.
