PROJECT_INSPIRE'S CHAT WITH ABEL USIM

With hundreds of beggars, young and old, roaming the streets of Lagos, one can only imagine the difficulties of such a life. Well, our guest today, Abel Usim, has not only imagined these difficulties but also got actively involved in solving them. In this interview with Project Inspire, he tells the story of how it all began.

PROJECT_INSPIRE: Can we meet you?

  Abel: My name is Abel Ikenna Usim, I am 29 years old and am from Arochukwu Local Goverment Area in Abia state.

  PROJECT_INSPIRE:Tell us about your childhood experience. 

Abel : My childhood was very tough because I was not very bright academically and I failed many times in exam in my primary and secondary school. I was born in Ajegunle and I experienced certain things that were beyond my age but am grateful that most of those things did not have any effect on me.

  PROJECT_INSPIRE:What is your educational background? 

Abel: I graduated from Madonna University, Okija in Anambra state, where I studied Mass Communication. I attended Dukes and Duchess Nursery/Primary School, Ajegunle, Lagos State, after which I proceeded to Epe Grammar School for my secondary school education. 

  PROJECT_INSPIRE: What are your contributions towards making Nigeria a better place? 

Abel: I am the of founder YEGI (Youth Empowerment and Growth Initiative) a non-profit organisation, committed to changing the African narrative through youth empowerment and community projects. 

PROJECT_INSPIRE:What motivated you to do what you are doing? 

Abel: The Holy Spirit is the source of my inspiration. One day, on my way to work, I had a conversation with a beggar whom I had seen sweeping the place he stays to beg. That conversation opened my eyes to the things I needed to be aware of before starting off. 

  PROJECT_INSPIRE:What have your achievements been? 

Abel: YEGI has two main projects which are: #BeggarToBoss and #Street2school. Through these projects, we are reducing the number of street children and beggars. We sponsor the education of street children and empower beggars to start their own businesses. Since we started, we have been able to empower three beggars to start their own businesses and we have six children under our scholarship program. We have been in over 21 schools teaching leadership skills and self-discovery to over five thousand school children. Last year ,we held a Dress A Child Campaign to provide clothes for street children, through this event we distributed clothes and food to over five hundred children. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the lockdown in Nigeria and Lagos especially, we have been actively involved in distributing relief materials to over 600 families in 3 different communities, we also reached 500 children in two other communities, we assisted teachers of various schools with palliatives while sensitizing them on preventive measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Our work was recognized by HIGHLIGHT A HERO, a program on Nigerian based Ebony Life TV.

  PROJECT_INSPIRE:What has been your major challenge since you began your non-profit organization?

Abel: Language barrier was our first challenge because most of our beneficiaries are Hausas who only understand their mother tongue so we had to use interpreters. Resources have not been readily available as we would love it to be. There haven't been many platforms where we can showcase what we are doing.

  PROJECT_INSPIRE:Could you please share with us one or two experience(s) you have had in the course of your campaign that has/have impacted on you?

Abel: One life changing event was when Fela Durotoye flagged off his presidential campaign during our Dress A Child Campaign last year. We were interviewed by Plus TV Africa and the Monalisa Show. It was a defining moment for me.

  PROJECT_INSPIRE:. Many young people have great ideas, but lack of funds is always a stumbling block. What’s your advice on this issue?

Abel:Let me stress this point, contrary to popular opinion, finance is not always the first challenge that confronts an idea. The major challenge is how you structure your organisation and how big or small you want to start. Most young people want to start big and that requires huge capital. My advice is that young people should clearly understand what they want to do, internalize it, then share their ideas with people who have both the willingness and capacity to support them. 

  PROJECT_INSPIRE:How have you been able to raise money to implement your ideas?

  Abel:Raising funds has been quite challenging but I discovered that it becomes easier when people see what you do with their money. For us, we have stakeholders who contribute monthly towards our scholarship program under the #Street2School Project. We also receive funds from friends and well wishers online and offline. 

  PROJECT_INSPIRE:What are your prospects in 5 to 10 years?

  Abel: We envision that in five to ten years, we will have empowered at least 500 global entrepreneurs from the beggars community and help hundreds of children graduate from tertiary institutions. We will have also expanded our reach to every state and local government area and established low income schools there.

  PROJECT_INSPIRE:.The final word for the Nigerian youth.

  Abel:To my fellow Nigerian youths, I understand how most of us feel about the situation in our country, but I dare to say that there is hope. We didn't choose to be here but we can make it work. So, do the much you can, play your role, live your dream, you are enough. God bless you!

  Many thanks to our guest editor Mr. Ibeh Miracle. 

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