[Interview] Victoria Ibiwoye, founder of the OneAfricanChild Foundation

[Interview] Victoria Ibiwoye, founder of the oneAfricanChild               Foundation

Victoria Ibiwoye founded the oneAfricanChild Foundation in 2013. In 2017 and 2018, she was named as one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans and received the first     YALI Leadership Award in Education, an award to recognize individuals making significant changes in their community. I received the information about her from Utak Chung, former director of the APCEIU (Asia Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding) and interviewed her by email. –ED

 

Q1. Thank you so much for accepting this interview. Please tell us about yourself.

A1 I am a youth advocate from Nigeria and the current youth representative to the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals)-Education 2030 Steering Committee.            Growing up, I wanted to live a life purposeful, meaningful, and outstanding.           Although I faced some difficulties in the beginning because I have dyslexia, a          learning disability that affected my reading and comprehension, it was in fact, the motivating factor for me to establish an organization at the age of 19 to support    children who are experiencing similar challenges. The oneAfricanChild                  Foundation for Creative Learning started in 2013 with a very humble beginning.   We have grown, in a few years, from reaching out to 2 children to impacting over 2,000 children through workshops and empowerment programs centered on global citizenship education.

 

Q2. Can you tell us more about the oneAfricanChild Foundation?

A2: The oneAfricanChild Foundation is a youth-led organization addressing the inequality in education through investment in global citizenship education for           children in underserved communities. Through experiential learning models,        advocacy, and empowerment programs, we reach out to children in low-income    communities in Nigeria and empower them with skills to become active and            responsible citizens. Since 2013, the organization has empowered over 4,500          children in Nigerian communities, expanding its outreach to neighbouring             countries such as Benin Republic and Kenya. As an organization, we believe in      building the capacity of young people to become civically engaged citizens who are not just bystanders but active players in sustainable development.

 

Q3 You also have several titles such as the Youth Representative to the                  SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee, and one of nine youth ambassadors of    the UN Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report.

A3 Yes, I do. The Steering Committee on SDG-4 provides strategic guidance to     member states and the education community. It also makes recommendations for catalytic action and monitors progress towards educational targets. I took an         active part in the Steering Committee Meetings in New York, Paris, and most          recently at the Global Education Meeting, held in Brussels. In 2018, I delivered a     petition signed by over 1,000 right-to-education campaigners from over 110          countries at the fourth meeting of the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee     at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

As a global youth ambassador for the GEM Report, I had the honor of addressing representatives from member states, UN agencies, and the world on behalf of         youth education advocates.

 

A4 It is really both inspiring and humbling. The 100 Most Influential Young            Africans award recognizes young achievers contributing to the continent’s growth and development. The YALI Leadership Award is awarded to exceptional                 individuals who have demonstrated their passion and commitment towards the      pursuit of the sustainable development goals as well as youth and economic          development in Nigeria.

 

Q5 What is your vision as such an enthusiastic international activist?

A5 My vision is to leave a legacy that would outlive me, just like Nelson Mandela,   Mother Theresa, and Martin Luther King. I see the potential in many young people around me to become change-makers like the heroes and celebrities we hear of     today. This is why I spend my time in service to others.

 

Q6 We have heaps of international issues that are both complicated and difficult.    In this situation, what do you think young people should do and what attitudes or  values they should have? 

A6 Indeed we have countless difficult issues. However, as young people, we should ask ourselves what we can do in our individual or collective capacity to make a     difference. I encourage all of us, every young person, to start small. once we have started, we should be positive and stay resilient. The journey never gets easier and the challenges never go away. What matters is that we stay optimistic and trust in  the vision that we have for the future.

Q7 Finally, what message would you leave for our readers?

A7 Don’t stop learning and if you’re looking for a way to make a difference, I         encourage you to consider volunteering or joining advocacy networks where you  can make good use of your time. When you do this, you’ll spend everyday feeling   joyful and fulfilled. If you are looking for some personal motivation, feel free to     message me via victoriaibiwoye@gmail.com or you can find me on Linkedin -        Victoria Ibiwoye.

   http://cafe.daum.net/weeklymonday/iSZz 

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