From a simple desire to set up a library in Kaduna State, Adamu Bashiru began a non-profit organization that has grown into an enviable prison reformation organization. Today with presence in three states, Dream Again Prison and Youth Foundation continues to give those in our prisons hope for a better future. Project Inspire spoke with Adamu Bashiru Oyakhilome and here is our chat with him:PROJECT_INSPIRE: Can we meet you?
Adamu: I am Adamu Bashiru Oyahkilome and am from Edo State, Nigeria.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: Tell us briefly about your childhood.
Adamu:I suffered from low self-esteem while growing up, I started elementary school pretty late, I didn't believe in myself, I was trapped in what I called the prison of my mind, my friends mocked and laughed at me because I couldn't speak good English. Like a fish trapped in an aquarium, I could swim but never beyond my fears and doubts.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: What is your educational background like?
Adamu: I have a Diploma in psychology and a HND in Business Administration. I had my Primary school education at Aunty Kammy Nursery & Primary School Sabon Tasha, Kaduna, my Secondary School education at Medi Group of School, Unguwar Sunday Kaduna. I proceeded to Abdul Gusau Polytechnic, Talata Mafara, Zamfara State.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: What are your contributions towards making Nigeria a better place?
Adamu: Between 2002-2003 I conceived a dream of setting up a library in Kaduna State as a result of the gradual great transformation I began to experience when I embraced the world of books, but unfortunately I never had the resources and capacity to set up this library, I read a couple of books and I can remember learning from Zig-Ziglar's book You Can Reach The Top that I can have enough of everything I want, when I assist other people have what they want. Fast forward to 2012, during NYSC days my dream of setting up a library in Kaduna came back to life through my interaction with Mr. Fred Uloko, I was fired up as a corps member and through the assistance of several individuals and organizations I was able to set up the first library in Otukpo prison that was built in 1923. This was the beginning of my journey in the nonprofit industry.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: What has been your achievements?
Adamu: Starting with just a pilot project in one state, today we are operating in six prisons in three states (three in Benue State, two in Kaduna State and one in Lagos State). We have been able to achieve the following: Set up libraries in Otukpo and Kaduna prisons, construct a new prison sign post in Otukpo prison, supply drugs to prison clinic, Set up library in Lagos prison. We donated five computers to medium prison Lagos, we have paid fines of fifty-two inmates who have regained their freedom, constructed a water reservoir in Igah prison, organized a leadership capacity and productivity workshop for prison wardens, fed inmates during festive periods and during our classes .We have given micro credit to seven of our ex-cons with some having their own tailoring shops, some have their motorbike for business, some are trained farmers and two have gone back to school. We have supplied pairs of slippers to convicts in different prisons. We donated brand new sewing machines to various prisons. We donated money for the construction of borehole at Gboko prison.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: What motivated you to do what you are doing?
Adamu: As a believer in Jesus Christ, my relationship with Him influences and inspires me towards good works, I used to be selfish and without empathy but through my relationship with Christ I am a changed person. I began to grow gradually into the understanding of what my responsibility is as salt and light of the world.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: Tell us more about what you are doing and how it will help our nation realize it's full potential?
Adamu: Like I'll often quote The prison yard isn't the oil field in Iraq nor the gold in South Africa but the prison yard is full of human beings whose potentials are more valuable than oil and gold. With about eight thousand potential great people in our nation's prisons, our job towards national transformation is to be there and help these guys in jail embrace their story, discover who they really are and use their knowledge, experience and skills to become agents of positive transformation in our nation and we have seen this happen over the past seven years with some of the students we have worked with from prison doing so well today outside prison.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: What has been your major challenge since you began your nonprofit?
Adamu: Starting an NGO in a blue ocean in Nigeria wasn't that easy because there was no template for what I dreamt to achieve around me, but through interaction with friends and ideas on how some western countries make their prisons function as correctional facilities, I gained more insight on how to run our non-profit. We had the challenge of structure and report writing at the beginning. We had no office, no staff or team members, all of these are challenges that come at various stages but they aren't strange.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: Many young people have great ideas, but lack of funds is always a stumbling block. What will be your advice in this regard?
Adamu: Mark my words, finance isn't and can never be a hindrance to a great idea, rather there are other factors responsible for why young people are not accessing fund and they include but not limited to these: - Motive (Why am I doing what am doing) -Intergrity -Consistency and perseverance -Lack of passion -Very important lack of social skills -Clarity of vision. Funding is the least we can and should think about. If we have a good idea, there are enough resources in the world. One of our sponsors said this and I quote: "there are good people with good money, who are looking for good projects or ideas to fund, but can they trust us?"
PROJECT_INSPIRE: How have you been able to raise money to implement your ideas?
Adamu: I maximize social media for social good and good people all over the world support our project without knowing me, but they see the passion and the results we are generating. We have had people who inbox us to support us and recently we got support from Econet Chairman Mr. Strive Masiyiwa when he heard us pitch our idea.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: Share with us one or two experiences you have had in course of reaching out to prisoners that has really impacted you?
Adamu: I had this amazing experience of getting to prison without our team and telling our students I don't know what I'm about to do but I'll do it anyway, I called the session that day hugging session, as I began to hug them one after the other, some of them started crying and I joined them in crying while still hugging them, it was a moment of burden lifting, gratitude and reconnection to self, some of them said no one had hugged them before while in prison. Another experience was when I was teaching the inmates and I started shaking because I was hungry, I mentioned to our students in prison and one of them gave me one thousand naira to eat.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: What are your prospects in the next 5-10years?
Adamu: We plan to extend our operations to other state prisons, set up functional libraries in these prisons, empower more inmates through our after care service for effective social reintegration.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: What do you think has been the major cause of unemployment among youths today and how can we overcome it?
Adamu: Most people will often blame government for unemployment and I can agree with them for only about 30%, each of us has a gift with great potential to excel in any given situation with smartness and hard work. There are massive problems in Africa waiting for solution providers who will create opportunities for more people. We must embrace self-government.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: What would you say is the major role of youths in our national development process?
Adamu: We have a major role to play but until we learn to embrace approaches that produce result, until we fix our values, until we capture a vision for our nation the noise in the name of activism will not do, ours is to build synergy with like minds working towards national transformation irrespective of tribe, region and religion, most importantly let's fix our values.
PROJECT_INSPIRE: How can you be reached on social media for those who want to be part of what you are doing?
Adamu: @Adamu_Bashiru www.dreamagainfoundation.org
PROJECT_INSPIRE: Your final word for the Nigerian youth.
- Adamu: Be the Nigerian you want to see around the world.
Many thanks to our guest editor: Mr.Ibeh Miracle.
Follow us on: Facebook and Instagram @BUSAOSOWO FOUNDATION
Email: bofinitiatives@gmail.com
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