When asked Funke what prompted her to volunteer, she responded quickly with “while studying for the PMP, I realized such opportunities existed, I’ve always loved and believed in giving back. I get to do what I love doing and earn PDUs. I also saw this as an opportunity to network and meet people I will have otherwise not met, so I saw this as a win-win.” PMI Global awards 25 giving back PDUs in every 3-year PMP renewal cycle. What Funke has found to be rewarding about her volunteer service? “The joy of serving my community. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a smile on persons face and know you had a part in putting it there.” Her message to other members considering chapter volunteer work, “Please find your passion and get involved, there is a great need.”
I don’t like talking about myself or selling myself, it misleads people about my capabilities when I demonstrate my skill. They are quite surprised by the number of skills I have in my toolbox. Funke has been mentoring when asked for help and recently produced a 1-hour video for the ladies in Nigeria interested in the information technology field.
What you might not know about Funke Ogundare is her love of family and that she owns and manages a gym in Nigeria. “My parents retired in 2015 so I found something for my dad to do and she later took it over since there is so much need in Nigeria. It’s another way to give back to the families. We use proceeds from the gym for the school’s sports programs and to help the community.”
Funke Ogundare’s words of wisdom, “you have more time than you think you have, but it is important to not say yes to everything because then you would get burnt out. People need to jump in and make time for those things that are important to them. You have time for what you choose.”