By Chioma Gabriel
Lawretta Sam Ogrih was a banker who became an educationist. She was the Head of Campus, Lagos State University, Lekki campus.

She is the proprietor of Ivory House, a leading playgroup, nursery and primary schools also in Lekki. She is also the publisher/ Editor-in chief of SEE Christian inspirational magazine. A Deltan and a mother, she desires a better life for the youths and a better world for all.In this interview with Florence Amagiya and Eunice Abutu, she explains how mentoring teens/ youths; writing inspirational books for children and adults have influenced her . Excerpts.

What do you do?

I mentor young adults. I do referral also. I go to schools to talk to young adults. I am an editor. I am also a writer. One of my books is titled Oghale. Oghale means blessing in my language. It is about a girl child who is not suppose to go to school and now she got the record broken in her time by her abilities and her father had to send her to school.

Lawretta Sam Ogrih

I have written other books titled ‘Treasures in the darkness, Greater love, Freely we receive, freely we give and some children’s books titled I am valuable, A debt to love, Gifted vessels and Oghale. One interesting thing about my stories is that they are all true life stories, testimonies, stories about people, about the hurdles of life. Basically, l believe I can learn from other people’s experience by reading about them. I have stories on magazines that l have edited and published of people who have broken records of life.

Apart from writing books , publishing magazines and mentoring, what else do you do?

I have a school called Ivory house. It has a play group, a nursery and primary session. And I am also co- consultant to Lagos State University, Lekki Campus.

The issue of sexual abuse in children is common these days, what’s your take on it?

We have a local forum around the neigbourhood where we gather to talk to children, counsel them on what they should know about growing up. It is an interactive class and in my own school, we separate girls from boys.

Children are still hawking wares around and we still have children on the streets, what do you think should be done about these?

It is always good to have your vision written down so that you don’t over step your bounds. What we do in cases like these is to serve as a referral. I can get a call of a helpless widow in need and refer her to the actual person who could help. It is a network thing. We network with people who have that as their mission and vision. They also could serve as referral to us. So in the case you mentioned, we make referrals to those directly associated with them.

What have you done in your local town or state of origin?

We have actually mentored many young adults and children. We give educational materials to people who cannot afford them. We started from Lagos where we live and we have been able to do a little at home where we are from. We affect these young ones by giving them materials and having their teachers guide them because when the mind has accepted, the life will be affected. Usually, this is done towards the end of the year. We did that in October this year and also last year. We mentor these young ones, teach them, counsel them and pray with them.

Would you like to have partners for sponsorship?

Of course! We need sponsorship, ‘it is he who seeks that findeth’. I don’t believe in waiting to start something and begging to be helped. We are doing the little we can. If a bigger body approaches us for sponsorship, we shall go for it.

What is your advice to the women out there who have so much money and yet no impact on any life?

To the women out there, you are the mother of any great or cursed nation. Your decision today can save a tomorrow. There is a portion in the Bible which says that you should reach out to and help others in need. God is in that verse talking about the rich fool who wanted to keep everything for himself. There is no one that cannot be a blessing to a nation. There are so many avenue you can be a blessing too. If you have had an ugly experience with rape, accident and others, you should come out and encourage those going through what you have gone through before. There are so many people hungry for the hand and word of God. For a word of encouragement, it is not all about acquiring wealth because you cannot take it anywhere other than the mortal place. And what you would be remembered for matters.

How do you combine running these and family?

Yes, it takes delegation. I cannot be everywhere at the same time and my family comes first. I have people doing some of these things as you can see. I brought back my work home and I am expecting my children from their various schools. I have two children. One is already a teenager and the other is about ten years old. By the grace of God, there is no vacuum. I am a head of school and one of the major things is to put a man power to do the work. I have a gift of starting up businesses and ending them courageously. I think that is one of my strengths. I also write effortlessly and as you can see, I take good care of myself spiritually and physically. You cannot give what you do not have.

What advice would you give to a woman out there having this same calling, but whose house is on fire?

What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and loose his home? [Laughing] That’s exactly what I would say to her because you cannot truly give what you don’t have. Always have these in mind, that when you give, you should also receive. You cannot be creating altars and you don’t have any in your own home. You go back home to rest.

Your home should be a haven. My children are the first to go through my books and we talk about it, I make them do so.