Education
Youth
Personal Experience
Children
Personal Development
Human Rights
Personal Story
awards
Inspiration
Children's Rights
I got an email this morning that I won the JCI ten outstanding young persons of Nigeria award for contribution to children, world peace and human right.
I felt greatly honoredπ, but It also made me think about airplanes.
I'll tell you a story...
I felt greatly honoredπ, but It also made me think about airplanes.
I'll tell you a story...
"Daddy,daddy- Mummy, mummy" I want to enter Eloplane".
As a child, this was my biggest dream; for most of us really
Some kids got this wish granted at the snap of their fingers and for some, it was a long shot from reality.
I was in the frame of the latter, until the year 2018.
As a child, this was my biggest dream; for most of us really
Some kids got this wish granted at the snap of their fingers and for some, it was a long shot from reality.
I was in the frame of the latter, until the year 2018.
It was the maiden year for @chessinslums and I had applied for the Young leaders Forum(YLF) fellowship. There were over 1500 other applicants, and to be honest, I had zeroed my mind out on the possibility of being selected.
Chess in slums was still trying to find it's feet and who was going to recognize such? So I took my mind off the award and devoted my time to building.
It was during this building process I got a mail from YLF that I had been accepted to attend the event in Kampala, Uganda.
It was during this building process I got a mail from YLF that I had been accepted to attend the event in Kampala, Uganda.
I had to be sure my eyes saw the mail right. Heavens could not contain the Joy I felt on that day as I called everyone I knew that I was going to enter "Eloplane" for the first time in my life. I didn't even have a passport Lol
It was so big an achievement for me that my Mother left all she was doing at Ibadan and took the next bus to Lagos,just to help me pack my bags and organize my travel itinerary.
The team was excited as it was going to be my first time on a plane and outside the shores of Nigeria.
The team was excited as it was going to be my first time on a plane and outside the shores of Nigeria.
Then something happened that felt like a puncture of dreams, but looking back now, it was an inflation of realities; present realities and the ones to come.
I had gotten my passport and everything was set till I remembered I had missed an important detail on my calendar...
I had gotten my passport and everything was set till I remembered I had missed an important detail on my calendar...
We realized that the scheduled date for the event in Kampala, Uganda, was clashing with our already established dates for the Majidun-Ikorodu Chess in slums project.
It was an event I couldn't miss as we had invited a lot of societal role models and career professionals to come learn how to play chess from the children in the slums of Majidun ikorodu. I had to be there for the kids, it was an important moment for all us.
I was stuck in a Dillemma. Should I travel to Kampala and fulfill a dream of mine to be on an "Eloplane" , or should I stay back and fulfill the dreams of hundreds of Majidun kids; we wanted the world to see the depth of potential the children wielded.
They were going to teach people of influence the game of chess. I remembered how nervous they were during our rehearsals.
I needed to be there to cheer them.
I had to make a decision to either travel and network with other young leaders or stay back and be there for the kids.
I needed to be there to cheer them.
I had to make a decision to either travel and network with other young leaders or stay back and be there for the kids.
Staying back it was.
Charity and sacrifices are synonymous, they co-exist, they must co-exist.
Understanding this made it easier for me to let go more times than I can count.
Charity and sacrifices are synonymous, they co-exist, they must co-exist.
Understanding this made it easier for me to let go more times than I can count.
It was a tough decision.
My Mum was confused π .
But the team was inspired and confidence was restoredπ
We put in extra effort to plan the program for the kids.
My Mum was confused π .
But the team was inspired and confidence was restoredπ
We put in extra effort to plan the program for the kids.
The program was an absolute success.
The highlight of the event was Odunayo- a child from the slums, teaching a world renowned Architect- Tosin Osinowo, the practices and strategies of chess.
The highlight of the event was Odunayo- a child from the slums, teaching a world renowned Architect- Tosin Osinowo, the practices and strategies of chess.
It may not mean a lot to most people, but to that little girl, it meant the world to her that she now had intellectual value to share.
I was there to cheer them all the way.
This was the defining moment for CIS as the BBC saw this and made a documentary about our project.
I was there to cheer them all the way.
This was the defining moment for CIS as the BBC saw this and made a documentary about our project.
So, I missed my "Eloplane" but guess who didn't miss the flight in the dreams? Every child that was present on that day in Majidun. A sense of fulfillment engulfed me and coated me with excitement that even a plane flying at the altitude of Mount Everest couldn't have provided.
This year alone, I have won more than 7 awards:
Business Insider Social Entrepreneur
Future Awards Africa
Trend up Awards
JCI award
Royal African Awards
Etc
I did not apply for any of these awards, I even had to decline a few of them that do not align with my purpose.
Business Insider Social Entrepreneur
Future Awards Africa
Trend up Awards
JCI award
Royal African Awards
Etc
I did not apply for any of these awards, I even had to decline a few of them that do not align with my purpose.
I have not been to a lot of countries yet, but remember that even though I canceled my flight to nurture and grow Chess in slums- Chess in slums has been published in every Major News publication in several countries around the globe.
Even as far reaching as Bermuda.
Yes I have finally entered "Eloplane" a few timesπ , and it was not all as exciting as i had anticipated. Cheers!
Yes I have finally entered "Eloplane" a few timesπ , and it was not all as exciting as i had anticipated. Cheers!
Honestly, awards and recognitions don't validate the work I do in any way.
It just helps amplify the presence of the work I do, and that's all there is to it.
And sometimes, it does feel to be heard and seen.
It just helps amplify the presence of the work I do, and that's all there is to it.
And sometimes, it does feel to be heard and seen.
More importantly, it's takes an entire village to do these phenomenal things, and every single person on the @chessinslums team that contributes immense value to the project is equally deserving.
Awards are great, but they will never rightly measure the impact we have in our communities.
Our greatest metric for success is validated in the lives of the children we speak for.
Our greatest metric for success is validated in the lives of the children we speak for.
The important lesson of this story thrives in accepting that as humans, we are bound to seek validation in the wrong things, and this can lead us into losing sight of the things that are truly important.
Stay true to what you believe in, have unwavering faith in your ideas.
Stay true to what you believe in, have unwavering faith in your ideas.
Become very intimate with generosity and walk into more rooms asking "How can I help?"
Remember Rancho from 3 idiots who said "Pursue excellence and success will follow you pants down"
Find what you love and do it with great excellence.
Remember Rancho from 3 idiots who said "Pursue excellence and success will follow you pants down"
Find what you love and do it with great excellence.
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe us great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.
If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.
As with all matters of the heart, you'll know once you find it.
Keep looking, don't settle.
Even when the awards or recognition don't come, you'll understand that it doesn't validate the work you do in any way.
Someday, it will add up and all of this will count for something.
Keep looking, don't settle.
Even when the awards or recognition don't come, you'll understand that it doesn't validate the work you do in any way.
Someday, it will add up and all of this will count for something.
And when the universe finally aligns for you, you'll realize that there are indeed decades when nothing happens and weeks when decades happen.
In those decades when nothing happens, lean, unlearn, build capacity so when your decades in a week happens, you will be ready for it.
In those decades when nothing happens, lean, unlearn, build capacity so when your decades in a week happens, you will be ready for it.
One day, the spotlight will shine one you, and you'll get a chance to prove your mettle and show the world what you're truly made of.
The world will hear your story and marvel.
Until then, live your life as if everything is a miracle.
The world waits for your greatnessπ
The world will hear your story and marvel.
Until then, live your life as if everything is a miracle.
The world waits for your greatnessπ
Loading suggestions...