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I-genuis Interview

posted on Monday, January 05, 2009 11:51 PM

1. Was 2008 a good year for you?

Yes, it was a very good year and memorable in some ways. In January this year, I organized the first ever Delta Youth Summit (DYS) on the platform of the Delta Change Network. The summit was a huge success and attracted young Deltans from all over Nigeria. This event was followed up by a Post Summit Press Conference.

While planning for DYS ,I applied and was selected to co-represent Nigeria at the First Jane Goodall Global Youth Summit in Florida, USA.The event was organized by the Jane Goodall Institute it attracted outstanding youth leaders from all over the world. For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to interact (one-on-one) with people from other cultures. It’s an experience I will never forget.

2008 saw me realizing my dream of creating a one-stop platform for networking and idea sharing for Young Change Leaders (YCL) from all walks of life. The Youth Action Partners for Development (YAP4D), an online social network that I created and manage, is growing and fast becoming a rallying point for young development actors and activist. Each time I visit (YAP4D), I am assured that we all can live together in an open society where resources for growth and development are shared and diversity is celebrated.

2008 also saw me starting up a book donation project for local primary schools in my area-www.b2knigeria.org.Although, this project is still at its take off stage, it has attracted a lot of positive attention.

As I look back, I realize that I have met wonderful people and partners that changed my life.

Although there were challenges and setbacks along the way.2008 was indeed a good year.

2. What are you trying to achieve in 2009?

In the coming year, I intend to consolidate on my existing projects and build more on my capacity to lead change by studying and researching on best practices.

I also intend to set the stage for my major project for 2010. A one-on-one mentoring and capacity building initiative for young Africans at home and in Diaspora. I hope to set the ball rolling in 2009 by documenting and showcasing the projects and impacts of Ten (10) outstanding youth leaders in the West African sub-region. This will include a short film.

3. What is your New Years resolution?

I have resolved to be a better me and not try to be someone else. A Timothy that is not moved by popular opinion, but moved by the passion to be the change he wants to see.

4. What do you think is the most important social political or economic issue facing the world at present [eg climate change, conflict in middle east, poverty etc]?

With about half of the world population in poverty, I think poverty is the most pressing issue of our time. There are millions of people who wake up everyday without the hope of eating breakfast and go to bed on empty stomach. They do not have access to safe drinking water and other basic necessities of life. And at the same time, there are people who have so much to eat that they waste what can feed a whole community.

Leaders who lack vision and mismanage state resources are mentally poor. Their short sightedness and corrupt practices distort the proper formulation and implementation of poverty reduction and wealth creation strategies, hence; perpetuating poverty and suffering of the citizenry. This explains why most of the worlds wealthiest nations in terms of natural resource, have the worlds poorest population. Africa is a blessed continent, but today we are forced to question whether these blessings are curses in disguise. Leadership is everything. Poor leadership plus corruption equals poverty and hardship to the ordinary man.

Whether it’s the lack of the means to meet one’s need or the lack of the capacity to conceive ideas that can create those means, poverty is an issue we have to deal with at all levels.

Comments

Ugonna Wachuku

Friday, May 01, 2009 12:41 AM

Keep it up, Timothy. And GOD bless you abundantly with wisdom this 2009 and always. We'll be in touch. Cheers!

Ugonna http://uwachuku.googlepags.com