COOL GIRL DAYO — Pen Game Strong, Vibes on 100, Writing Team Lead (2024-2025)

Temidayo Olabanji, Writing Team Lead (2024-2025)

Known to many as “Cool Girl Dayo,” she’s no stranger to the Unilorin Cowrywise Ambassador Community. A debate champion and an increasingly recognized writer among the ambassadors, she stands out with her serene demeanor and captivating writing style. Here’s why we think you’ll admire the Writing Team Lead just as much as we do.

1.Tell us more about yourself. Who is Dayo the Unilorin Cowrywise Ambassadors Writing Team Lead?

I always find this question really difficult to answer. I would just say that, I'm a writer. I love to express words in writing. I’m also a physiotherapy student at the university of Ilorin. I think that's just what makes me me. I love writing, I love helping people, I love physiotherapy and that’s just me.

2.How have you been able to balance Physiotherapy with writing?

As regards to balancing my writing with school life and other activities, I like to think that balance is a myth. I think that what puts us under so much pressure is trying to balance out too many things. Most times I give myself about five things to do in a month or two things to do in a week and for that time duration I know I just have those things to focus on. I try to reduce the tasks I have to work on so that I can intensify more efforts on perfecting the tasks I have in front of me.

3.What genre(s) do you write?

Whenever I'm asked what genre I mainly focus on as a writer, I really don’t like identifying with just one genre. I write a lot of fiction but I won't say my fiction has a particular niche, I write fiction based on what I want to write at that particular time. Sometimes I write non fiction, sometimes its poetry, other times I just write what flows naturally to me. I feel like identifying with one niche or genre boxes me up in the confines of that niche and I'd rather just write. Not according to the genre rules but, by how I feel when I'm writing.

4.What motivates you to write? And what do you think makes you stand out as a writer?

What motivates me to write a lot is quite honestly God, God is the number one motivating factor that drives me. And of course, Lagos. There is basically always something happening everyday. Lagos is dramatic and overwhelming and a gold mine of ideas. Then in a larger context, Nigeria, the drama, situations, the good, the bad, the ugly, it all motivates me to write. Still on that list, women's lifestyle is a core part of what motivates me to write. I like reading a lot of Nigerian novels, articles from magazines and I feel like those written parts of literature reflect my writing.

I wouldn’t really call myself a ”big” writer, I still want to improve my writing, work on myself and I know God will help me get there. I think what really makes me stand out as a writer is description. I believe that if every writer can adopt expressing your words to the fullest, regardless of the genre, it will make your writing a whole lot better.

5.How did you learn about the Cowrywise community in Unilorin and what motivated you to be a part of it?

After I got my admission into University, I was looking for a community I could be a part of that I would be able to learn, connect and quite honestly, gain finacial literacy. Someone around me mentioned that he was a Cowrywise ambassador and that really piqued my interest. I went online, did research about it and applied, and months later, I got an email that(I was in and) I could proceed to join the Whatsapp Community. It was really a “Thank God!” moment for me cause I was excited to be in the community.

6.Have you been able to make money through Cowrywise?

I won't talk about my savings, not here, but then, last year I won free airtime! Then the merch. I won the full line of merch! I got the bag, the book, the band, the shirt, literally everything! That is money(to me) please!

The financial literacy I have gained here are more than a million.

7 You mentioned that you have most of the Cowrywise Merch. What was your major take-away from Ope's Money Diary?

It was Ope's Money Diary that made me really take my finances seriously. I really loved the writing style. The writer is really good. The stories were really relatable and it motivated me to be serious with my savings and to be consistent with saving.

8.How has your experience been since you became a part of the community? Lessons learnt, friends made, impact felt?

Cowrywise has taught me a lot. A major lesson Cowrywise taught me, which is one of the reasons why I literally always have my Cowrywise ambassador band on my wrist, is that no one is too talented. The great people are just skilful. Everyone has a special thing they can do best, but the way they can groom it is by putting work into that skill. I remember when the former Cowrywise campus lead, Adedoyin, asked for those who were interested in joining a debate team and I indicated my interest. I didn’t know it was for a debate competition, I just thought I would learn about debating. I was really frightened(about it) because I had never participated in a debate before but debating had always interested me. I put in work towards it, I watched youtube videos, I wrote down my entire argument, and I actually won the competition. A year after I have won another debate competition and took second place at a big debate competition.

I belive firmly that your ability to keep on trying is really what makes you a superstar.

9.What made you want to become the Writing Team Lead? Did you think you had what it took?

My answer for this question is very weird. It was the wrist band. The first time I saw the application I disregarded it. I didn’t feel like I had what it took. On the last day of the application there was just something about the band that made me apply. Like a real connection. I realised that whether I get in or not, at least I'll know that I tried. It was the very day of the deadline I wrote the essay attached to the questions, filled the application and submitted.

I don’t think you'll always have it figured out. I never felt like I had it all figured out. Even now, I still feel like I could do better, I could have done better but then, I'm just grateful that I continued in my efforts of being consistent and I’ve brought out the best from the team.

10.What do you think has been your biggest achievement since you became Team Lead?

I think my biggest achievement has actually been how much help I've been able to render to people. How I'm able to give people suggestions, how I've been able to support people who enter my DM for writing advice. The Writing Workshop as well(was a big achievement), it wasn't just about me, it was about the knowledge gained.

11.Do you have a shout out to the Cowrywise team leads?

Yes of course, particularly Awesome the Campus Lead. Whenever I have a new idea he’s always positive about implementation and he always pushes all the Team Leads to do their best at all times.

Interviewed by Righteous Oluwayinka

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