By Victor Gotevbe
It is true that some people are born with silver spoon and others are not. Eloho was not so fortunate to be born with one. Eloho walked into Vanguard premises and listening to his story left us with the  O MY GOD feeling.

He has truly passed through the school of hard knocks but has never given up in his desire to succeed and he does not look like he is giving up now or ever. He has a career twist from Engineering to Information Technology and now is an outstanding male hair stylist. He shares his inspirational story with Youthful Vibes: 

I am the second son of a family of five girls and two boys. I grew up in Ajegunle with my family. Life in Ajegunle was really interesting for me as a little boy. I was privileged to have both my primary and secondary school education in Apapa.

After high school, I worked at Niger Dock where an American discovered me and he enrolled me in the School of Oceanography for a certificate programme on Marine Engineering. A year later, I went back to the company to work for Stots Comex Seaway and I was afterward redeployed to Escravos (Chevron Yard) where I did diving and under water welding.

It is amazing that I sometimes assisted in burning thick but small pipes and you could be in one for as long as  two hours non-stop. My stay there was between 2000 to 2003.

I returned to school to study Diploma in data processing. I looked for a job for about 8 months with my diploma. I eventually got one which I was not comfortable with as the business center was involved in certificate scam of all brands.

Following my clergy’s counsel, I resigned because I wasn’t happy with the job. I moved to the Island to start work with Standard Trust Bank as an office assistant. I was with the bank for eight months before the bank merged with another one.

Career twist

I recall vividly that in a church service after I lost my job, my pastor advised three of us in the congregation to acquire a skill. Right there, I was confused as I thought to myself that I already had an engineering background as well as an Information Technology background.

A voice inside of me, said why don’t you learn how to make people’s hair. This was one of the most bizarre things to think of. That same voice made a strong impression on my mind that the following morning, I went to Tego Barracks in Ajegunle where I inquired from a hair stylist who had about fifteen girls as apprentices and workers.

It was truly odd as I was the only male. It dawned on me that it is not a favourite career for men. However, she looked at me sternly because I was corporately dressed to her saloon and she apparently did not think I was capable of learning.

I was with her for two months and I couldn’t wash or even roll any hair because she still thought I was not ready to learn. So, I was idle. I figured out that my mode of dressing was the cause of my redundancy. Hence, I took permission from her one morning that I needed to go some where.

I quickly rushed to Yaba in Lagos where I picked some new clothes (Shorts and tee-shirts). This became a new habit as I started wearing shorts and tee-shirts. She was surprised when she saw me the day I first wore my tee-shirt and short. It was then she told me that I was ready to learn. True to her words, my apprenticeship started proper.

My first year was very hectic as it was still new to me as a young apprentice. Nonetheless, my boss (Aunty Kemi) would always encourage me to ignore what I was wearing because it was becoming a concern to me; I was losing the dress mode in the corporate world. She would say to me that someday when I acquire the skill, I could wear something I wanted.

Learning pattern

My friends mocked me because they thought my new found love in hair dressing was strictly a feminine call. How on earth would I go to learn a woman’s job, they would ask! Interestingly, the ladies whom I worked with didn’t see me as a threat but they offered me support.

From my little savings, I developed a strategy for learning. I had the ‘amala’ (yam skin)  formula. It was buy ‘amala’ and learn something new. Some of the  ladies had to give their hairs for me to weave because of the amala I bought for them.

Today, I can confidently say I can fix any kind of hair (weavon, wigs), I do bridal hair, I plait, braid, I do Ghana weaving, Bob Marley, twisting, retouching, I do pedicure and manicure and make up, just to mention a few.

I owe a lot of gratitude to Aunty Kemi who protected me from some women who liked my work on their hair or nails but wanted something extra. Also, what is most touching about her, for all I learnt, I didn’t pay her a dime. In 2006, I graduated to start up something of my own.

Starting out

I got a job in a small saloon in Apapa. It was owned by my friend (Hakeem) and we had to work together. Hakeem got a contract for the Idols West Africa show, where I was opportuned to make their hair. Some of them included Omawumi, Judith, Timi Dakola, Temitayo and the rest of the crew.

This was my biggest contract after a year of my graduation. This gave me some level of exposure that helped to build my confidence. Not quite long after, I got another job at Apapa Club and I got some other jobs as well.

In 2008/2009, a friend who lives in London contacted me to teach his wife how to make hair. It was during this time a saloon was opened for me in Festival Town (Festac). I had no choice but to sleep in the saloon because I worked very late as I had many customers.

The landlord had issues with me. He didn’t’ want me to pass any night there. It was just last October, I finally got a place for myself with the help of a friend. I have been training people for free. I currently have two apprentices.

Advice

My advice to young people is for them to stay focussed and be consistent, be humble to either the great or small. Hard work truly pays. Please look beyond your present circumstances and take each day as it comes. ‘e go better’.

Next Big Plan

In a few weeks from now, I shall be in Ukraine, where I shall study Cosmetology at degree level courtesy of Mrs Ifeoma Anthony who believes in my dream. I am indeed grateful to God. Dr. Mrs Ofodile of NIMASA has given me unalloyed support and has shown immense kindness as a mother. She has always been a mentor.

Young Nigerians making the difference

OWOLABI TOBI ISAIAH
LAGOS

*OWOLABI TOBI ISAIAH

Tobi is the founder of HACEY, a health Initiative purposed to educate and empower women and young people on issues related to health, environment and job creation. He started facilitating Pro-Health and Environmental education focus groups for students in secondary and tertiary institutions in Kwara, Ogun, Zamfara, Oyo and Lagos.

He worked with the National Directorate of Employment (Zamfara state) to train women and young people on how to make money from waste and interior decoration. He has also trained women with Rural Women Associations in Ogun state  on different enterprise and health education.

Last summer holiday, under the auspices of the Education District 2, he trained over 200 secondary school students in Lagos state on leadership and life building skills. His works have earned him the position of one of the of the country representatives of HIFA 2015 a global health campaign recognised by W.H.O and funded by Rockerfeller Foundation.

He received the Young Investigator Award for his presentation on
Oral Contraceptive at the 36th Congress of the International Union of Physiological science in Kyoto, Japan.  He attended the 5th world youth congress in Istanbul, Turkey as a member of the monitoring and evaluation research team.

He is the author of – Author of the book ‘HIV/AIDS- The future of the infected and affected. Tobi’s organization will be holding a World AIDS Day program in the University of Lagos  on November 30, 2011.

URUETSE EMAMAKPO
ABUJA

*URUETSE EMAMAKPO

Uruetse Emamakpo C. is the Senior. Program Officer/Team Leader, Abuja of Life Impact Foundation International (LIFI). She coordinates LIFI’s Entrepreneurship interventions  focused on in-school and out-of-school youths, employability skills workshop for young graduates and undergraduates, and facilitates sessions on the promotion of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Toolkits for business owners.

She has a passion for climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in order to promote sustainable development. She is currently looking into the empowerment of 60 male and female youths in Zaudna community of Abuja. She is also involved in assisting charitable projects such as the annual commitment towards the decoration of 10 orphanage homes in Abuja for Christmas.

She started as a teacher in a primary school immediately after her Secondary school and since then has continued to facilitate and promote the growth and development of Nigerian youths. She has interacted and successfully worked with many team of young persons who have carried out projects with minimal supervision. She serves as mentor and coach to ‘teachable’ youths towards positive transformative leadership.