After drowning tragedy, educator/creative teaches kids safety skills

by: Christian Garzone

Posted: Aug 28, 2023 / 09:48 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 28, 2023 / 11:05 PM EDT

ROCHESTER, NY (WROC) — In 2018, Olayinka Akinlawon owned a daycare in Irondequoit. A six-year-old named Aliyah Williams was her favorite, the apple of her eye.

“She was just a very spunky, very honest kid. Always willing to help,” said Akinlawon.

She knew Aliyah was destined for greatness — outspoken, brave, and well ahead of her age. Sadly, that never came to be.

“…There was an accident while she was on an outing with family members, and she drowned,” said Akinlawon, adding, “I believe that person and his girlfriend were under the influence and took the kids boating in a canoe.”

Aliyah lost her shoes on the trip, and she was sent off alone to find them. Aliyah, fell into the water, unable to swim. This essential skill is something Akinlawon lacked when she was an inner-city child.

“I just remembered the opportunities to learn how to swim were few and far between,” she said, adding it can be a challenge for many minority children who don’t have the opportunities to learn how to swim.

Being an educator and a creative, Akinlawon saw Aliyah’s drowning as a call to action.

“They need to have those life-saving skills in order to help themselves in a situation like that,” she said.

Akinlawon serves as head of an animation company called “Limitless Studios.” She creates videos that cater to minority children with educational singalongs and the like, demonstrating things like fire safety and water safety — tools parents can use right at home. One of the lead characters “Caiamak” is based on Aliyah.

“I think these skills are important to kind of share with the world,” she said.

Akinlawon said all of the animators she employs are based in Africa. Akinlawon said that is to give those folks a chance to shine as well.

The series is called ‘Omo-Berry’ and you can find the videos on YouTube, and the sing-a-longs can be found on Spotify.