THE PLIGHT OF AN AFRICAN CHILD

Hey my darlings!!! Happy New Year. Been away for a long while,but am definitely back with a BANG!!!

 Life after NYSC for me has been a fortunate stroke of serendipity. I had a couple of expectations and targets in 2018 for things I know I have control over. For those things I know I don’t have control over, I didn’t bother setting targets for them. Honestly, it’s best to know how God works with you as an individual. For me, I have noticed He doesn’t give me a clear cut picture of where He is leading me. All He expects is that I obey His leading, along the line the blessing comes.

 I actually began 2018 volunteering with Khan foundation as a #HopeAmbassador. I tutored children in Makoko who have never been exposed to any form of education. During my time there, I came to a conclusion that people appreciate what you leave in their hearts more than what you leave in their hands. I saw firsthand what it meant to live a sacrificial life.  My point exactly, be kind and help those who can’t pay back.

Then came my first ever SLAY FESTIVAL experience . 

If you think deeply, you realize there are so many things you know but don’t practice. A lot of points made weren’t new but I definitely had to be reminded. Let’s run through a few things I was reminded of during my SLAY experience.

From Left to right : Speaker-Tonye Cole , Jessica Akano , Chika Uwazie , Oyisa Salu

One of them was the importance of being deliberate about your professional development. I will be a little personal with this point for better understanding. I remember when I was still serving in Ibadan and took on a volunteer job with an online media outfit. It exposed me to new ways of conducting interviews and asking strategic questions, alongside meeting and networking with some of Africa’s finest Journalists. I went a step further by making my first reporting video  (link). All these things for me , were deliberate professional development steps I took for life after NYSC. I wouldn’t say I had been deaf to the constant chorus of “There are no jobs anywhere”.  I knew I needed a strong reason for my potential employee to pick me over other candidates. In my area of interest, your previous works are like the strawberry dressing on the cake. I did my research and penned down what top professionals in my chosen area of specialization had done to get to their current position. In my little way and of course with resources ( time, energy, money) I carried out projects and assignments which I knew would come in handy after NYSC. Those few deliberate steps were steps in the right direction for me. Yours may be to take a course, write your thoughts in form of a book, become a singer, start your fashion design school, learn a new skill via Youtube, whatever it is, you should constantly seek growth. If you’re asking if all my efforts paid off in the end, Yes it did. I recently got a job with one of the leading TV stations. During my interview, all my NYSC wakawaka and hustle paid off big time.

The second was the importance of having a mentor. Not like you have to live a replica of their lives…. that’s really not the point. The idea is for you to have a shoulder to stand on and seek counsel or clarity in times of doubt. I remember the intense session I had with one of my mentors Sola Olaniyan Bright about a month to the end of my NYSC. That defined a whole lot for me and what I needed to work on to ensure I keep my dreams alive and ensure I was also on the right track. That meeting session was primarily about my professional growth strategy. Even the bible encourages taking good advice “ Pay attention and listen to the  words of the wise , and apply your heart to my teaching prov 22 vs 17” because the way I see it, it pretty much makes your life easier.

I also think one thing that has helped me, has always been my candid willingness to learn. When it comes to anything at all that will make me a better person, Yo! Am in for the learning. You should reach out to people no matter how far they are. If you find it difficult, send me a message. I can help with that. I am a certified connector.

The highlight of my SLAY experience was the giveaway…you wouldn’t believe what the first criteria for winning the Samsung A8+ which isn’t in the market yet was…. We were supposed to dance SHAKU SHAKU… that was how your girl LadyI missed that phone o. Anyways a sharper babe won it. I had to go home and miserably download SHAKU SHAKU tutorial on Youtube…smh

Am happy for you my dear sister

Aite friends, lets end here for now. Oh my… how can I forget my most recent activity. I have a friend who referred to me as a MULTIPOTENTIALITE. First time anyone has called me that but he’s kind of right. So here I present to you my first attempt at Modeling. Please tell me what you think biko.

Love

Lady I