By Victor Gotevbe

Grace Adams have since lost both parents with just a younger brother left. She is a graduate of Mass Communications from the University of Jos. She founded K-WAVF (kids with a Vision Foundation) committed to serving Orphans and Vulnerable Children with offices in Plateau and Bauchi States. She was inspired by her own childhood experiences which have made her become the voice of the underserved communities. Saturday Youthful Vibes brings to us  sublime story of this young Nigerian.

My upbringing
I was inspired by my Childhood and also by God’s authority to serve humanity especially Children. I lost my father when I was only three (3) years old and my mother had to take care of me and my younger brother whom she gave birth to just a month after our dad passed on.

I watched how my mum struggled to raise us up, the difficulties of coping with transfers (She was a Nurse) and leaving us in the hands of uncles and aunties and having no one to call daddy. My childhood wasn’t that bad but it was tough. My mum did her best to provide for us but there was something, affection.  She was always on the move because of her job but once she was around I enjoyed her presence and humor.

My early days I missed my dad, I needed a dad but what can I do? The only man (a widower) that we thought would be a daddy told my mum he would only marry her if she takes us to stay with our grandmother in the village. So I had to cope. My mum did her best to make us understand life wasn’t easy at all and we needed to study hard to make it in life.

So, all we had in mind was to work hard in school to support her and to help myself also. I didn’t spend so much time playing with other children but whenever I was with my peers, I always had the understanding of our world and it seemed like an extraordinary feeling but for real when we had to act a play, I always played the mother role and you would see that affection in me and how it connects with the children. Growing into a teenager was funny and interesting.

GRACE IYE ADAMS

I was the outgoing type, so I had so many friends unlike when I was a child and I turned out to be good in almost everything I did but that is not to say I hadn’t made mistakes, you know the youthful exuberant thing would always come to play but I remained focus.

I was so attached to my mum and she was and is still my role model but as everyone has to rest after fulfilling his or her destiny, she passed on in 2007 leaving behind my younger brother and I. Sometimes, I wonder what being an adult really means because at the time I should feel like an adult, I found myself more in the midst of children and then my childhood days began to play again like I had missed something I can’t really place.

How I started K-WAVF
For K-WAVF, I just wanted to do something for Children but I didn’t have a clear direction so I started celebrating children’s birthdays and children’s day with the support of three friends and gradually, in each of the events we would advocate for the rights of the children, then the full strike to start KWAVF came in 2007 and till today we have about 400 children we give Care/Support as we are still making prominence in Plateau and Bauchi states.

Getting local support for K-WAVF
Since its inception we have not had any funding internationally nor from the government but we run most of our programmes through the support of friends and family though we have had collaborative/partnership programmes with other NGOs who have similar focus.

Presently we are intervening in the areas of education, health and general welfare of the Child. 2011 was one of our peak events where we intervened for the educational needs of 200 Orphans/Vulnerable Children and also enrolled 3 students into the senior secondary school with full scholarship.

In 2012, we want to rent an apartment to cater for about 150 OVCs who were recently affected by the recent crisis in Jos/Bauchi. The kids neither are all over the street with no shelter nor hope for survival. We want to house them, educate them and meet their psychosocial needs but support is our major constraints but we are keeping faith.

If not K-WAVF?
Then I’ll be volunteering in another non-governmental organization that care for Children or writing books, songs and also have my dance school.

Working amidst the Jos Crisis..
So far, we thank GOD for giving us the grace to work with different people not minding their religious  beliefs, but then working for the glory of GOD and service to humanity. The crisis of Jos gave us the opportunity to give our best and to also learn from other partners’ and we were able to build our capacity on Emergency and crisis situation.

Our major concern during the sectarian crisis was Children and Women, they were the most vulnerable and most of them, especially the youths and children were being used to fight for peanuts and some of them lost their lives leaving some deep scars that will always ring the bell of retaliation. In one of our programmes, Peace Building and Reconciliation, we were able to bring both youth and women from the different religious groups. So far the Peace programme is really paving the way for good understanding and building a community of peace

Proudly Nigerian
Yes, I am so proud being a Nigerian any time and any day.  I don’t think I would love to be anywhere else. Nigeria is home and that is it.

Next Plan
To build an ultra modern care home for Orphans/Less privileged children where all the children will need for their growth and welfare will be available.

Young Nigerians making  the difference

Ogbogu Chinonso, Enugu State

Chinonso  is a fast growing and sought-after motivational speaker, corporate trainer, writer and success coach specializing in helping individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations to unlock their powers to attain success and significance.

He is the host of SuccessMatters™, a radio programme designed to illuminate the path of many to personal effectiveness. His tapes, seminars, and writings have helped thousands of aspiring and growing entrepreneurs to gain control of their lives and businesses and tap into their limitless potentials.

Ogbogu Chinonso

Currently, he is the Managing Consultant at Skillap Limited, an organization that’s committed to helping its individual and corporate clients achieve increase effectiveness and maximize their limitless potentials through its consulting and training solutions. He also manages a life-transforming project on facebook that’s committed to infusing hope, insights, and inspiration into many to live out their dreams.

ODIOR YOLE, DELTA STATE

Odior is an undergraduate of Delta State University studying History and International Relations. He is a pro blogger, computer programmer and a creative writer. He is also actively involved in the development sector because of his love for humanity.

He is currently helping young people fulfill their passion in the area of entrepreneurship and Information Technology. Odior runs the Nigerian Demand Media page on Facebook and is working  on releasing an eBook titled Fixing The Economy-Learning From The Pages Of History by the first quarter of 2012.

ABIODUN SULE, UNITED KINGDOM

Sule Abiodun Toba is a graduate of Mass Communications from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State. However, he is currently a student of Information Systems and Computer Technology at Ternopil National Technical University Ternopil, Ukraine.

ABIODUN SULE

He works on different platform of volunteerism.  He is the General Secretary for Global Africa Dialogue (GADO) and a Country Representative for Africa Diaspora Youth Network (ADYNE).  He  spends some of his time in some advocacy and policy development work for organizations and he organizes different programmes of development amongst the African in the Diaspora (especially Ukraine and the United Kingdom) for individual discovery and capacity building.

Interestingly, he is a preacher and he presently works with the UK/Northern Ireland Diocese of the Celestial Church of Christ on policy and development. He is also a graphics designer, web developer and an author of several inspirational and motivational books. He is married to Omoniyi Adekoya Zipporah with a daughter.