Rise with opportunity.
Dìde exists to help disadvantaged children rise, through access to education and health. Many are held back not by potential but by barriers as basic as school fees or healthcare. Dìde is here to change that.
The story so far.
Dìde is founded by Dr. Emmanuella Zamba (née Omogbehin), a medical doctor and public health leader with more than twenty-five years in the Nigerian health system. A Lagosian and the daughter of two doctors, she grew up understanding how decisively access to care shapes a child's life chances.
As Permanent Secretary at the Lagos State Health Management Agency, she helped lead the expansion of state health insurance to millions, the launch of EkoTelemed during the pandemic, and the first state-led rural health scheme in Nigeria.
She is also a mother of two girls. Her career has been about making care reach the people who need it most. Dìde extends that work to children, alongside the organisations already serving them in Lagos.
More on Dr. Zamba's wider work at emmanuellazamba.com .
Where we work.
Dìde is based in Lagos, Nigeria. The work focuses on children in communities where access to school and healthcare is most uneven, beginning with Lagos State and the neighbourhoods around it.
- 01
Over 2 million children in Lagos State are out of school.
LASUBEB estimate, Lagos State (2022) ↗ - 02
Only 45.7% of Lagos State-sponsored students passed WASSCE in 2024 with the credits they need for university.
Premium Times / Lagos State (2024) ↗ - 03
About 1.15 million of Lagos's roughly 20 million residents are enrolled in state health insurance.
LASHMA / Ilera Eko (Dec 2024) ↗
Lagos has more schools, clinics, and state programmes than anywhere else in Nigeria. The gap between what exists on paper and what reaches each child is where Dìde works.
How we work.
Direct help
Money and resources reach children and families, not layers of overhead.
Local first
We work in Lagos, with people from Lagos, alongside organisations already there.
Honest reporting
We publish what we fund and what comes of it, even when the news is small.
Long enough
Support that stays in place through a child's school years, not a one-off.
Common questions.
Are you already running programmes?
We're in our early stages. Our focus is building partnerships and resources to launch education and health support for children in need.
Where does my donation go?
Directly into Dìde's education and health programmes for children in Lagos. We'll share updates transparently.
Is Dìde a registered organisation?
We are in the process of registration and will publish details.
Why the name "Dìde"?
It means "rise" in Yorùbá. Our mission is to help children rise above barriers.