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Samuel's Blog
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My Search for Local Talents
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Having completed a major phase in the development of my project / org - TALENTS WORLD www.talentsworld.org, I decided to take a stroll to a remote area in the out skirts of Lagos (Mile 12 ketu), to see if anything good could come out of that locality.

The passion, hunger and thirst to find new talents and explore new ways of developing and empowering local talents had burned in me for years now, that it seemed I was going to explode any minute from now.

For the past one year, I had neglected calls to come and help inspire young talents in different localities. I had kept myself seclude or caged to my internet connected PC, being so busy online, developing and testing Online Talent Management solutions, gathering resources/tools and making connections that would enable me to easily manage the procedures, people, resources and outcome of the Multi-dimensional project / organization which I had earlier initiated.

About a year ago when I received a call from this set of youths, they told me that they were 45 active in number, vibrant and reaching for the skies, that they needed more training in drama/comedy and possible connections with the outside world. I told them that I would come and see for myself what their situation is like and also invite several talented youths to come and help boost their skills.

Some weeks before now I called their team leader to find out how they had been faring on. The voice or tone of his response indicated that all was not well. It seemed that all their hopes had been shattered. They had experienced tremendous difficulties from within and without and for him it was as if all his sheep had scattered away. Even their usual venue for meetings was no more available. He said he could still lay his hands on a few of them (about 15), but wasn’t too sure if they’ll be willing to continue after all that happened and even finding a convenient place for them to meet was the greatest problem now.

Deep within myself, I began to feel so guilty, saying to myself that if I had come earlier (last year when they called) all these would not have happened. I felt so bad as I listened to him on phone but had to console myself realizing that my staying away was for the ultimate good of these youths. I asked him to visit the few youths he could still find, ask them to come for an open evening discussion and let me know when and where they’ll gather.

I received a text message on my to way work yesterday morning ( Saturday) informing me that they were meeting that evening by 4pm at Mile 12, Ketu. And what a dilemma I found myself in! Saturdays are usually a very busy day at the office where I work (……......– a Nigerian based International Freight forwarding, Relocations, Logistics and Supply Chain Management company) A day for all staff to tidy up reports and materials for use on the next Monday/week ahead.

As the Systems/Network Administrator, I had no closing time nor could I leave the office until all the other staff/MD had vacated their Computers. Oh No! How can I continue with this kind of job that leaves me with no time for myself and my fellow youths? “Nigerian Employers! You have taken advantage of the UnemploymentWall-Street-Layoffs (Job Scarcity) situation in our country and make us endure untold hardships just to be able to keep body and soul together. You reduce the number of employed staff and still do not compensate adequately for the time and energy expended. Your chain of oppression on us will soon be broken.”

On my way to the office, I began to think of an alternative arrangement, I was about to call the TALENTS WORLD project committee chair to come to my rescue by helping me to go and talk to / inspire these youths, but realizing the inconvenience I would create for her by this impromptu request compounded with delicacy of the situation at hand, I decided to take the bull by the horns myself and just inform my crew of what I was about to do. They’ll definitely fall in handy in the follow up / planning/ implementation and evaluation stages.

The idea of meeting and communicating online with these youths who would be gathering today also sprang into my mind, but this was not a situation for technology. The situation at hand required a one to one personal contact with this group, unique in its attributes, formation, background, style, environment and youths involved. It required a personal chat, talk or sermon which they have never heard before. One that would make them see hope in their hopeless situation.

As I worked in the office that morning, my mind was not at rest as I had already made a promise and had to live up to it. I quietly made a call on my cell phone to arrange for a digital camera from a friend living close by and began to think of the excuse I would give for leaving the office before the last person. At break time, I quietly rushed to a close by Cyber Café to print out from the web, the documents I needed to make the discussion worthwhile. As I was still thinking of what exactly to say, ready to dam the consequences that would unfold, the staff in charge of the generator set came to notify me to send a message to all users, Informing them to hurry up with their activities as the diesel content was low and he’ll soon be putting off the power generator , The diesel suppliers will not becoming till the next day. And we weren’t sure when Electricity would be back

Though some were complaining that they still had a lot to do in preparation for Monday, I was smiling within me since at last I had gotten and opportunity to spend time with my fellow youths today without receiving a query from my boss on Monday morning.

The road was very free and the journey seemed so short, not until I got to Oshodi bus-stop about to board the next bus to Mile 12, Ketu. It was five minutes to four and I called the team leader on phone to tell him I was on my way and was already at Oshodi Busstop. I thought I would be there in the next 10-15 minutes but to my dismay, I was still on the road at 4:30pm. The traffic jam was very hectic, such that the driver of the bus I boarded had to drop all the passengers, refunded their money and took another route back to Oshodi. Rather than boarding another bus, I immediately hired a commercial bike to drive me quickly to Mile 12 through the terrible traffic jam. Despite all the fears, risks and worry that pervaded my mind as the Motor cycle driver sped off I was glad I made it to the venue in the next 18 minutes after calling at intervals to let them know where I was.

As I got closer to the venue, I began to feel so nervous and uneasy. For more than one year now, I had not involved myself in an offline meeting with youths, save for the few ones I attended with youths at the church parish where I wors=hipped on Sundays. My meeting with youths have mostly been online and so I thought my group handling, management, group psychology, team building skills would have detoriated greatly. Far from my expectations, my skills had greatly improved as I was now practicing what I had been reading in the books/resources I had been gathering.

I was now practically learning how to fit into and cope with this unique set of individuals who looked so small and fragile and at the same time they were learning from me what they needed to revive their group, to empower themselves and make a difference in their communities. The atmosphere was free but disciplined. Leadership was shared. As one person pulled the attention of the group to a related subject matter or to the snapping of photos which was meant to keep a memory of this day alive in their minds always, I waited for them to regain consciousness and when I am about to call them to order, another youth has already done so, telling all to wait, let’s hear from Samuel. We laughed, joked and played. They freely shared their group problems and experiences with me and I shared mine with them. Encouraging them not to relent, for nothing good comes easy. In the first few minutes of my arrival, my quiet and shy personality dominated me and I was more like a stranger to them but I quickly allowed the mission for which I came, my experience with youth and the enthusiasm of the group I was now meeting to take complete possession of me. For a moment, I forgot about who I was or what I had, and descended so low to their level and in no distant time, we were chatting and discussing and playing. Having earned their confidence, I began to gradually take them up with me to where I wanted them to be. Through the paths I had been through I began Sharing my experiences with them on the numerous problems I encountered on the way and how I was able to overcome these problems, they began to see their own situation in a better light and the power they had within themselves to change their situation.

I made them realize that the only obstacle that truly exists is YOU. It is you alone who can limit yourself.

And from one to the other, like a chain of connected networks and opportunities I began to tell them briefly, the story of TALENTS WORLD, of TIG, GYAN, LEAP AFRICA, PEACE CHILD INTERNATIONAL and many other youth organizations. Of how youths like them are making an impact in their communities locally and globally and the numerous resources / opportunities that are available to them online. I made them realize the essence of having a profile, webpage or blog, photo/media gallery on the World Wide Web and how they can get these done as cheap as possible. I told them that my subsequent meetings with them will not be story telling, but to show them practically online how they can express their talents using the latest web technologies. I stayed back that evening at the team leader’s apartment since I detested night journeys back home due to the risks involved especially on these Lagos roads. I had the opportunity of meeting his parents and lovely family. I also seized the opportunity to teach him via his PC how to retouch and upload the photos we snapped at the meeting that just ended. He also learned from me the basics of designing a webpage.

During our discussion at the meeting, that had now ended, they told me that they wanted to be part of Talents World , to showcase their talents and build their network whilst still remaining in their local group. They wanted to be part of TIG and make new connections beyond the borders. Right there in my presence I saw one of the youths writing a list of names and when I asked why, he said he was going to meet them after the meeting to tell them that something pretty new was happening here. The team leader also disclosed to me later that while I was talking, one of the youths whispered into his ears that he has just remembered someone whom he would request from and was sure a getting a comfortable venue for their next meeting. I just wondered why they didn’t disclose all these to him during the long period through which their problem had lingered. I then recalled that the value of a good group discussion should help the group trust each other open up to themselves.

I asked them if they had heard about the word MDG. And there came a big “No”. I asked them if them if they knew the full word of the acronym UN, or what it meant. Only one of them could respond as the rest kept gazing at me. I lamented greatly within me. What is Nigeria really doing about the MDGs? How far are we from achieving the MDGs when our youths who are supposed to be the executors and sustainers of the MDGs do not even know what it means. Recalling those days in the classroom where I once taught Mathematics to High Schools students preparing for exams, I began to use my skills as an educator to within the shortest possible time, paint a picture in their mind of what the MDG means. This picture no doubt will be elaborated more on in the Empowerment Program/Event which was to be a fruit of this meeting with them.

Gradually I brought them to the awareness of the UN Human Development Report, the theme for this year’s report (FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE: Human Solidarity in a divided world ) and the contributions youths were expected to make to this report. I made them realize the opportunities open to them and how they could use or showcase their talents by expressing in their own words the theme of this years report and how it affects them. As I showed them the pages of the messages on this Subject matter from Peace Child International, they wanted to be fully involved but expressed their fears and doubts, they wanted more information on Climate Change. They asked me how possible it would be to record and upload / submit their short drama / video.

As I talked with them, I noticed the friction that emanated, it was as if I had come with so much information and ideas to lure them away from their local group into other groups far much stronger than them. I quickly addressed this by making them realize that my mission with them was to help catalyse their growth, to become their partner on the road to success. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. This small drama group of theirs would in the shortest space and time available become a strong force to be reckoned with, that through them, the whole of Mile 12 Ketu will be set ablaze, not with fire but with the vibrant or active participation of youths. I gradually began to enumerate the things we would do together to capture the attention of youths in that locality and make them more involved. But to achieve all this they needed to equip themselves with the basic tools. This I summed up in an innovate event / program ( LOCAL TALENT EXPRESSIONS ) which they themselves would organize while TALENTS WORLD acts as facilitator.

A sample print of the program which is still being revised will be displayed in the EVENTS page soon.