I recall in 2013 when Olusola Adeola mentioned the Young Reformers Programme to me, she made a statement which I’ve never forgotten. She said “Ajoke, I know you’re passionate about Social Development so I’m going to suggest that you enroll for this YRP, a note of caution though, there’s very high likelihood that you’ll end up focusing on Education reforms and development, so make up your mind.” Out of respect for her, I grudgingly enrolled for the YRP and I make bold to say that it was a life-changing event and truly because of YRP, I’m focused on social development initiatives that focus on improving Education and learning outcomes for underserved children in Nigeria.
The 6-month programme was a period of incubation, immersion and reignition for me. The interaction and knowledge gained from experienced professionals at different learning sessions was invaluable. My organization REEL Foundation was an idea that was birthed in the course of the programme and slow and steadily we’ve been doing our part in our little corner to change the narrative of learning outcomes for underserved children.
Over 6 years have passed since I participated in the YRP, however,the relationships that were formed in the course of the programme have remained a key part of my professional and personal life. One of the biggest lessons I learned during the programme was the value of ‘doing’ – playing my part no matter how small it may seem. Even today, the lesson remains relevant. REEL Foundation is a community-based organization, as such, much of our projects are focused on small communities and to be honest, there are times when I feel frustrated that we haven’t grown into that BIG NGO that has the capacity to reach 50,000 children in a year. However, I’m comforted by the impact stories from some of our beneficiaries, we may not be “BIG” just yet but there are people whose lives have been positively impacted and that gives me peace.
Another key lesson is the power of relationships and collaboration. In the course of my work in Social Development, I have come to the conclusion that people are the most important assets that can help me and my work. The value of good relationships cannot be overemphasized. Literally, God has used people to orchestrate every ladder of success I have attained till date. There’s an adage in my local dialect “Eniyan laso mi, timo ba weyin timo reni mi, eniyan laso mi” meaning “people are my covering, when I look back and see my people, I know I am not naked.”
Like most people, I entered 2020 with excitement, plans for personal development and a road map for REEL Foundation. Alas! Man proposes, God’s in charge. The pandemic and lockdown initially came as a shock and to be honest I was in limbo for about 2 months, I had personal challenges that were overwhelming and we had to cancel an annual event for the Foundation after investing some funds.
Everything looked bleak and I was just tired. In the midst of this, two Corporate Organisations donated funds to our organisation and we had the liberty to implement any project that was impactful even in these peculiar times and this was the turning point. Between April and September 2020, we’ve been able to implement 4 projects that were not even part of our 2020 strategic direction. The biggest takeaway from this “new normal” is the power of adaptability. It was tempting to fold my hands and wait for life to return to normalcy, however, I chose to take advantage of the “opportunities” that COVID-19 had presented and I am happy to say we’ve made some positive impact against all odds. More importantly, what gladdens my heart is the fact that the Pandemic opened the eyes of many Nigerians to the depth of poverty and its varying consequences. Collectively, tens of thousands Nigerians contributed their resources in response to the challenges and gradually I see a paradigm shift happening amongst Nigerians, a new awareness that is reigniting our willingness and availability to make a positive difference in our Country.
Recent Comments