My Journey

I am from Nigeria, I am from a family that encouraged me to go for my dreams even as a student in the college they got me an internshipjob that helped enhance my knowledge in the Electrical field, they were so supportive but my community was wondering why my parent were investing so much on me as a woman that would soon be given out in marriage but my parent knew better than that.There is so much faced by women in my community they are given out in marriage early and most of them are made to become house helps, low economic power, orientation that STEM careers are for Men, "Women's place is in the Kitchen"Women should be heard and not seen syndrome, and Low access and knowledgeto Technology.

I have started tackling this challenges in my community supporting the vulnerable girls/womenbut a lot more needs to be done more change agent needs to come on stage and I am supported by some organization that Iam partnering with like Corderina supporting with the LEGO kits and we are also in partnership with Ministry of Education,Universal Basic Education Board and UNESCO

To continue Iwould require more human, material and financial resources and enhancing my digital skills and leadership skills would be a plus for the Odyssey Educational foundation.

I had an interesting career path as an Electrical Engineer working as a switch Engineer in a Telecom company for 9years and was comfortable until I travelled to India to do my Masters in Telecommunication Management so that I cancome back and continue in my convenient and comfortable "space".

There came a turn of thought in India,Iwas in class with so many smart classmate and I wondered how they performed mathematical calculations without calculator most of them were Girls so Ithought it was some form ofJuJu {MagicalPower} because most of usin the classwhen asked any mathematical question we grab our calculators, but Inoticed that the Indian ladies got there'sdone in seconds, and in a most baffling way, without a calculator.

I then began my query process, Ifound out it was training in Speed Mathematicsthat hadhelped them acquire these skills I also enrolled for the Speed Maths class which i dd online. In my quest to probe further Ifound out that most Kids wereengaged in an after school program,they were exposed to training that are not really taughtin class, infact training that helped them in their choice of a career path and it wasa more practical aspect of a career Journey and the thought came into my mind "if this is happening here then it can happen also in my country".

With that mindset, Ireturned to my country and all of my nervesspeaking; start something like you saw in India here, so Istarted with equipping myself with the necessary skills for the new role thanks to internet Iutilized every resources Icould lay hold of online. Thistook a toll on me as my whole being knew that Ihad something in me which Ineed to let everyone who cares to listenhear, know.Istarted going to schools to enlighten them why the Girl child should be equipped in a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics}career, where they would be equipped with the tools needed to drive our economy from labour driven to a knowledge driven Economy. Iensured thatevery parent and all stakeholderIcame across understood thatthese skills we teach them are not "Nice to have but a Must have". Our dreams of a knowledge driven economy was now a fate to be determined by our actions.

SeverallyI have invited the Parent and stakeholders to school especially weekends when we Code with the Girls, to educate them on the need to train theGirl child, with the understanding of the community we are in where they believe that your fortune should be spent on training the Male child as the girl child would soon be given away in marriage and themoney spent on her soon becomes a waste.

I have always been of theopinion that train a girl child and train a nation, because I am a beneficiary of that school of thought, so that informed my setup, Ichoosemore of Girls in the club and in some schools ipick only girls, when i invite Boys, they are for giving the Girls a run, and this happens wheni see most of them not working up to the task I add some challenges to the groupto bring the best out of them. Irun the club with a variety of blends ranging from Robotics, Speed Maths, Animation, Photography, Coding, Creating of Mobile Apps and lot more.The interesting part of our solutions are they solve our immediate community challenge we don't just fill a space,sothe Girls create their own Technology solutions and not just be consumers of Technology.

This little fire hasbegan to grow wild, we are present in most public schools in the State and a open space for walk-ins,we have an overwhelming number of interest than our resourcescan not accommodate and I tell you we have began to groom the next generation of problem solver with STEM background in my community lately. We are sure marching to the mark of a knowledge driven economy consciously.