My dearest darling, my beautiful Bioye, my one and only daughter… Your beauty, sensitivity, clarity and compassion, your insightful understanding of the meaning and purpose of life, your very many talents… It has been an honour to have been your mother, a special privilege to have been your friend.

Sleep well, till we meet to part no more. Taiwo Taiwo(Mother and Best Friend)

A Devastating Loss: April 19, 2002

Abioye Aronke Taiwo December 3, 1977-April 19, 2002

December 3rd, 2002 Announced the Establishment of the Aart of Life Foundation in loving memory of Abioye Aronke Taiwo

Like the phoenix, we emerged from our pain with a resolve…Sweet Inspiration

We installed traffic lights at the notorious Sobo Arobiodu intersection in Ikeja GRA.

This move challenged the state government to put up traffic lights all around the Lagos Metropolis.

That no others may be slain at this blind spot as Abioye was…

We at the Aart of Life Foundation evolved a 4 step approach training in bereavement /trauma counselling.

•Trained and certified several counsellors in association with Prof. Lambo , we established the first ever grief and trauma counselling support service centre in Nigeria.

Significant MilestonesNever doubt that a small group of thoughtful people can change the world. Indeed, it is the

only thing that ever has…Margaret Mead.

The Late Prof Adeoye Lambo

Aarts UK Summer Gala 2003Organised by Bioye’s friend’s. They raised £1, 000 for the

Foundation.

I now understand what Mahatma Ghandi meant when he said… ”you must be the change you want to see in the world”

The Peaceful Gardens; grown in loving memory of Abioye and developed for the

Ikeja community.

No need to wait a moment before starting to improve the world

- Anne Frank

Against All Odds 2004 First aired Jan 1st 2004, on NTA Network. The show was so spectacular, when we sent it to Peter Igho, the then Director of programs at NTA, he

took one look at it and said “wow”

When I’m at my most destroyed …I am about to grow.

2nd Summer UK Gala: Arts Exhibition, Aug 2004

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit” - Nelson

Henderson

Switching on of Lights and hosting of weekly soup kitchen at The Peaceful Garden in the Ikeja GRA.

For you, Abioye, we switch on Xmas lights here, on your birthday December 3rd, to

kick off the festive season.

Against all Odds Docu-Drama 2005 The nation was gripped by the series and millions participated in the selection of the winner: The riveting story of Bayo Oshin, the young Nigerian doctor who overcame the debilitating illness that

had ravaged his body

The first set of Aart of Life Counselors certified in 2005

In the process, I have gained so many insights about human nature, learnt to be so patient and tender when dealing with grief

“Have you discovered yet the gift of grief?”

Against all odds/Look at me now Gala 2006

We changed our world forever

Town Hall Meeting for Sosoliso Crash victims- 2006, in Port- Harcourt

I emptied myself and healed my soul.

MTN 0703 Healing Toll free lines 2007In partnership with the MTN Foundation, trained

counsellors offered 24 hour grief/trauma counselling services.

Abioye, Finally your dream of always being a famous poet came true; at least in part.

‘Fear abides with me Constantly’ – Bioye’s poetry collection was first published in 2007

In April 2009 Abioye Aronke Taiwo was awarded Posthumous Ambassador Award of Atlantic Hall, Lagos.

Even in death, your beacon shines forth.

Training of 25 more Grief Counselors with support from MTN & LASUTH

‘Fear Abides With me Constantly’ now the poetry text for years 1 to 3 in

Atlantic Hall.

When the mind transcends the senses, it comes back to its true nature which is innocence. Sri Sri

Ravi ShankarTen years on, Aart court (A mixed residential block of luxury apartments) was commissioned and dedicated to Abioye’s

memory.

Raising funds for the dream to continue…

The Aart CourtA third of the income goes to the Foundation to ensure its

sustainability in the future.

Letting Go - a book that chronicles the dark days of grief and my gentle emergence into a whole new dawn of hope through courage and belief- was

published and presented to the public

An evening of energetic performance of Bioye’s poems.

Performances of Bioye’s poems to celebrate Aart of life Foundation’s 10th

anniversary.

2014 AchievementA 3 day grief and trauma counselling training program, which

held at the Department of Behavioural Medicine, LASUTH, between June 24 and 26, 2014, for (5) counsellors from kano,

Kano state. Tagged (‘Train the Trainer’)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most. We ask

ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing

small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t feel insecure around you. We

were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It‘s not just in some of us, its

in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people

permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically

liberates others”

- Marrianne Williamson.