I Have Passion For Working For Youths —OkonkwoI Have Passion For Working For Youths —Okonkwo For five years now, Chinyere Okonkwo has been reaching out to the youths through her NGO, Youth Repositioning Foundation.
A very good facilitator who facilitates both locally and internationally, Okonkwo has worked in collaboration with international agencies like UNICEF, UNESCO and so on.
In this interview with DEBORAH ONYEGBUNA, she said that NGOs would do more if government would empower them financially.
She encouraged government to create and implement projects and programmes that have long terms so as to give the people access to information, education and services. Excerpt:
Briefly tell us about your background
I am Mrs. Chinyere Okonkwo, the brain behind Youths Repositioning Foundation.
I read Mass Communication at Enugu State University of Science and Technology. I also have a diploma in Mass Communication too, from the Polytechnic, Calabar. I have a certificate in Advertising from the Advertising Practitioners' Council of Nigeria. I am an associate member of Nigeria Institute of Public Relations. I am also a member of Nigeria Institute of Management. I am a member of African Council for Communication Education. So, based on all these, I have got experience to facilitate. I facilitate locally and internationally. I have good communication skills; good writing skills and I use all these tools I have acquired over the years to reach out to work. I write a lot of abstracts. Before you came in, I was working on one for an international conference. I write news letters and all that.
What was your growing up like?
I am the last in a family of five. My brothers and sisters are abroad. Growing up was fun. They doted on me so much. My father loved me a lot. I was like daddy’s girl.
Why did you form Youth Repositioning Foundation?
I actually formed Youth Repositioning Foundation because of my love for young people. At a very tender age, I was a Sunday school teacher in church- taking care of children and people about my age. I always put smile on people's faces. I always touched people and they would come back to say “Chinyere, you have done so well”. Due to that innate quality in me, I formed Youth Repositioning Foundation and it was registered legally under the Corporate Affairs Commission and has recorded remarkable success.
What were you trying to achieve by forming the NGO
You know very well that young people are the leaders of tomorrow and if we are able to catch the young people, there would be continuation; there would be sustainability. What you impact on them, they would pass it on to the next generation and it would keep growing and growing.
In this foundation, what are you programmes?
Our key areas are HIV/AIDS awareness dissemination, poverty alleviation and eradication of social vices like cyber crime and other things like that. , We try to educate young people, children, even women through seminars, work shops, distribution of handbills, posters, newsletters, educating them on the deadly scourge - HIV / AIDS. We educate them on ways to acquire vocational skills so that there will be reduction of poverty.
So how do you go about that?
Currently, we are working in Ijesha Local Government Area in Surulere. We work with some schools and we also organise programmes for people around. You know that there are out-of-School youths. They still need this information. So, we organise for in- and out school youths and children.
What about those youths who are area boys, prostitutes and armed robber, Aren't they part of your programme?
We have not got across to the area boys, but the commercial sex workers, currently in Ijesha now because we are working in partnership with GHAIN. We collect Information, Education and Communication materials (I E C materials) and we go to those hard- to- reach brothels in Ijesha community to educate them.
Like how many of the brothels have you visited
We have touched about four.
What was the outcome?
It was very successful
Are they giving up the trade?
Most of them are. It is a habit that has been built over the years. It is not going to be immediate. When we finish, we give them our contact. They call us and all that. It is a gradual process.
When they call, what are some of the things they tell you?
They can ask questions like: How can they make ends meet? How would they continue living their lives and all that? And since our main area is the empowerment of women and youths, we give them ideas on vocational skills , things they can do. A normal person selling pure water on the roads still make ends meet. Things like that.
So like how many of them have you been able to change?
I think about four.
Did you give them money to start off something?
I didn't give them money. The foundation didn't give them money for now.
You are aware of the Niger Delta Crisis , and these are youths carrying guns and fighting for the struggle. Is your organisation doing anything in that area?
So far, no. we have not gone into that area for now. We have an office in Port Harcourt. It is not something we are going to start like that. We are going to do our registration in Port Harcourt, involve our selves with the stakeholders before anything. But so far, we have not started that project.
How do you get your funds?
We get our funds from Jinco Enterprises Limited. It is an organisation in Port Harcourt and that is where our major funding comes from.
Who are they and what do they do?
It is an enterprise. What they do is that they carry out contracts like building of roads and maintenance of infrastructure and things like that.
How did you get involved with them?
It is through networking. They are our major funds.
What are your achievement so far?
The achievements this far, I have them here. This is the project I carried out with UNCESCO. So far it is a wonderful project. We work in collaboration with UNICEF, USPA We work in collaboration with LASACA. In 2006 we featured in an international conference in Canada where we conducted life skills for HIV prevention. We have abstracts to our credit. I am a UNICEF trainer.I have repertoired for UNICEF.
We have been able to touch lives. A lady wrote me from California acknowledging the work we are doing because most of these things, we also do it with UNICEF Voices Of Youths. It is an arm of UNICEF outside the country and it is posted on the web. The address and everything is there. So most of the time when these youths read all these things, they write back. It is an online things. We have gotten responses from Ghana and all that.
Is there any challenge that the foundation is facing?
The major challenge is to get more funders.
Have you people written to corporate organisations?
You know Nigeria nowadays. The people who are not doing the right thing are the ones getting the funds.
What is your take on the fact in as much as more NGOs are springing up, much problems still abound?
Remember that it is a non-government organisation and it has to do more with what God has called you to do - Passion. Most times you spend all your savings, all your earnings to do that. my answer to that question is that when NGOs are well empowered by the government, by corporate bodies all stake holders they would be able to do more. Take for example, in Lagos now, how our governor Fashola is working. Assuming he has no funds, would he be able to do those projects? If NGOs are empowered more, they would also be able to do more.
Is there anything you think that the government can do coupled with what the NGOs are doing to make lives better for the less privileged & the people?
Giving a man fish is different from teaching a man how to fish. I believe in teaching a man how to fish. Giving those people vocational skills; training them, giving them information, ideas, and life skills is one of the things we are doing at the Youth Repositioning Foundation. We do a lot of life skills. Life skills are skills that will help people to adopt to their environment, help them reduce poverty and all that. I believe the government should create and implement projects and programmes that are long terms. That would give these people access to information, access to education.
Do you think the Nigerian Government have the interest of the youths at heart?
They have the interests of the youths at heart. There is a lot of concern for youths as typified by youth- related policies. There is a lot of seminars, workshops, conference going on for young people. The Nigerian government has a ministry representing the young people. Many young people feel that nobody loves them. It is because of the position they found themselves.
What plans do you have in future for this NGO?
There is no stopping for me ,God willing. In the future, I will have an office outside the country. By God's grace, I would be able to have more funds, more stakeholders, more partnerships, more collaboration, first like my passion, touching lives, reaching out. In our youth empower scheme, I have been able to get a lot of jobs for young people. Even till tomorrow, young people come to me. I have a background in consulting. I counsel and guide them. It is a continuous process. I also train a lot of volunteers, a lot of young people. So that the process is replicated and there is sustainability.
When you travel outside the country, how do they see the image of the country?
Do you know thta when I traveled to Canada, the whites they were so appreciative of Nigeria? They said we are intelligent people because most of them didn't feature, most of them didn't write abstract. They just came as observers. They don't see us in bad light. I had a stop over in London. The woman checking my papers said “Where are you coming from? I said, ‘Nigeria .I am going for a conference.’ She said, “Oh sister, keep up the good work.” She encouraged. There is picture I took with one Mrs. Hoff man. She works with UNICEF in New York. She told me, “Keep up the good work . I am proud of you. I am proud of Nigerians. They don't see us in bad light. They encourage us a lot.
So, how are you able to cope as a wife, a mother and a career woman?
I have a very understanding husband that is the most important thing. He helps me a lot. He encourages me and pushes me. That is the way I am able to balance it. The most important part of it is that what I am doing. It gives me so much joy. Apart from the monetary part of i,. there is so much satisfaction when you do what you are called to do. Many people today don't do what they ,are called to do. Whenever I remember that I have people behind who are pushing me, it encourages me.
How do you relax?
I write a lot. I have written a drama sketch for the British Council. I relax by watching good movies so that I would be able to improve on my skills.
What are your hobbies?
I would say writing. That is my major hobby.
Any favorite food?
My favourite food is rice and stew
Any favourite outfits?
I love appearing in corporate suit.
How did you meet your husband?
I met my husband in a shop. When he saw me he said he had a ministration in his heart that I am his wife. I had already finished buying what I came for and left. He was looking around for me in that area until we got talking some where in Surulere.
What is your passion?
My passion is touching lives
Any beauty routine?
Yes, I use Mary K. acne control gel.. I used to have a lot of acne. So it used to help remove those black heads and smoothen my face.
Is there anything about you that would surprise somebody?
My life is very open so, I don't think so.
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