IN MEMORY OF AFOLABI STEPHEN OPASO (Zigi)
The Afolabi Stephen Opaso (Zigi) Student Aid
University of Manitoba Nigerian Students Association (UMNISA)
WHO WE ARE
UMNISA is a student-led organization at the University of Manitoba dedicated to building community and supporting the wellbeing of Nigerian and African students. We are a home away from home, a space where students who have crossed oceans to build a future can find belonging, support, and solidarity.
Give to the memory of Afolabi Stephen (Zigi), Make a difference today.
Why This Fund Exists
On December 31st, 2023, Afolabi Stephen Opaso, a 19-year-old first-year international student from Nigeria, experienced a mental health crisis. Police were called. Within seconds of their arrival, he was shot. He later died in hospital. He came here to build a future. He deserved care. He deserved to finish what he started. His death exposed something this community already knew but could no longer ignore, that the barriers our students face are not just emotional. They are financial, systemic, and structural. And far too often, they are invisible to the institutions that are supposed to support us.
This fund is our response. It is how we refuse to let his name fade, and how we protect the students who come after him.
Who It's For:
The Afolabi Stephen Opaso Student Aid supports Nigerian international students at the University of Manitoba who are facing financial hardship. Established with the blessing and permission of Afolabi's family, this fund is built for the students who are doing everything right and still struggling to stay afloat.
The Significance and Need:
International students are among the most financially vulnerable people on Canadian campuses. They pay tuition that is often three times the domestic rate, are restricted in how many hours they can work, and frequently carry the additional weight of supporting family back home. Many arrive with no safety net, no room to fail, and a deep cultural pressure to appear strong and self-sufficient.
For Nigerian international students specifically, these pressures are compounded by isolation, cultural stigma around mental health, and a system that was never designed with them in mind. Financial stress and mental health are not separate conversations for these students, they are the same crisis. When a student cannot afford groceries, cannot pay rent, or cannot cover an unexpected bill, their mental health suffers. Their academics suffer. And too often, they suffer alone and in silence.
Afolabi fell through those cracks. This fund exists so that the next student does not have to. Every dollar contributed is a direct investment in a student's ability to stay in school, stay well, and stay connected to their community. It is the safety net the system refuses to be, and it is the most meaningful thing we can do to honour the life and legacy of Afolabi Stephen Opaso.