Mrs. Rhoda Omobolanle Oluwasina is a uniquely committed professional midwife. To her, midwifery is a call from God and she has done everything within her power to stay focused on her professional calling. It was her strong conviction that midwifery was God’s call on her life that led her to establish Dave Rhodes Maternity Home in the year 2006.

Located on Rafiu Street, Fatade-Baruwa in the Ipaja area of Lagos, Dave Rhodes Maternity Home is a thriving medical facility. It has had hundreds of babies. Of the success so far recorded by the maternity home, Mrs. Oluwasina says: “To the glory of God, the sender who assured me with the word of the Bible in Deuteronomy 32 V 9-14, Exodus 33 V 14 and Luke 10 V 19 has ever been present, helping us at every crossroad so that we have continued till date.”

Another factor which seems to have contributed to the amazing story of Dave Rhodes is the culture of continuous training and skill development of the staff. The management ensures that staff are updated with current trends in professional practice through seminars, workshops and Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP) as organized by the Association of Private Nursing Practitioners (AGPNP),  the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, USAID and other relevant bodies.

Deaconess Rhoda Omobolanle Oluwasina was born about 60 years ago to the family of Evangelist Jacob and Mrs. Rachael Babatunde Adeniji at Odomose Compound, Oko in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

She had her primary school education from 1962 to 1968 at E.C.W.A. Demonstration School, Oko. She then attended Rev. Playfair Memorial College, Oro-Ago, Kwara State where she earned her West African School Certificate in 1973.

The young Rhoda passed out of secondary school as Best English Literature Student and she was among the best six overall students who were eventually selected to study for Higher School Certificate (HSC).

Her ambition as a girl was to be a lawyer. Her father however thought differently. He counselled her to take to nursing. She did not like the idea as she knew nothing about nursing. Eventually, she had to follow the father’s will.

In 1975, she was admitted into the School of Nursing, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba. She completed her training in 1978 as the Best Student in Surgical Nursing.

She got her first job at LUTH as a Staff Nurse and was there from 1978 to 1980. Determined to move up the career ladder, she gained admission into the University of Ibadan to study for a degree in Nursing Science (B. Nsc).

However, while preparing to go to Ibadan, Rhoda heard a voice. As she put it: “I heard a divine voice say to me, ‘If you go for B.Nsc, how will you help your neighbours in future when they want to deliver their babies? So, go for Midwifery? I understood what I heard and made enquiries to do Midwifery outside LUTH.”

So, in September 1980, she got admission into The Baptist School of Midwifery, Saki, Oyo State. She completed her training in September, 1981 as the Best Midwifery and Overall Best Student.

Again, Mrs. Oluwasina says: “I enjoyed the course and the desire to see women have their own babies moved me to pray that if God helped me to have my own babies without hitches, I would help women to have their babies without stress.”

In 1990, the Baptist Hospital Management Board sent her on a Health Tutors Course to the University of Ibadan (University College Hospital). She completed that course and got a Diploma in Nursing Education in 1992. She also had a certificate in family planning.

Following the relocation of her family to Lagos, Rhoda Oluwasina secured employment with her alma mater, the School of Nursing, Lagos University Teaching Hospital in 1994. In 1996 however, she got a divine call to go help people in her area. Therefore, in 1997, she resigned her appointment with LUTH and began to prepare for private practice.

Today, she says of her private practice: “We are doing fine and our watch word is: ‘Life Mother, Life Babies.”

Rhoda is married to Pastor David Olakunle Oluwasina and the union is blessed with wonderful and godly children.

It is in recognition of her accomplishments in the field of Nursing and Midwifery that Deaconess (Mrs.) Rhoda Omobolanle  Oluwasina is deemed worthy to be conferred with the Woman of Merit Gold Award which is part of the 2017 PSR National Awards.