MY YEAR OF POSSIBILITIES: How my Tests in 2017 set my Vision for 2018

Dear Friends,

As we have welcomed the year 2018 already. I believe you have received New Year wishes from many people and you in return have prepared your 2018 New Year resolutions. Personally, I am not making any New Year resolutions. I’m just setting goals and sharing them with people like you that can hold me accountable.

2017 was a testing and at the same time awesome year for me and my organization. In the course of the year, my Vision and Passion to reach out to the young female souls was tested. The devastating economic meltdown which rocked our communities back to back tested my resilience and integrity. In the face of the widespread poverty that ravaged the country Nigeria, my commitment to hold onto common ground was challenged with various hurdles and challenges which seemed stronger than ever. In all, with God on my side, and the belief you have in what I do, and through your engagements in various ways both online and offline, I responded with awe-inspiring resolve that helped me get to record impressive achievements both for me and my organization despite that I started the year with a lots of doubts and fears amidst all kinds of emotions (disappointments, discouragements and tears).

Over ten years ago, I founded Girls Education Mission International to change the world for God’s glory. I am both proud and grateful to report that I have never been stronger. Together, we are changing the world. Thought the battle to reach the goal is not yet over, I am confident that we will get to the goal. The self-assured way I have made progress in the course of past years would not have been possible without your Love, commitments, engagements and personal sacrifices all of which kept me going.

Because I have tagged and journeyed the year 2017 “Alone with GOD”, I consider 2018 “My Year of Possibilities”

I feel so good about 2018 and excited about the new endeavors, opportunities and possibilities that it holds for me and my organization. I am deliberately passionate and practical about the things I want to do in 2018 (i.e. “I am dreaming BIG”). I perceive 2018 has in store for me, a new sense of confidence and hope that fills my heart and inspiring action for me to determine to chase my passion with an unstoppable willpower that will wow my audience and woo them for more individual and corporate engagements to achieving more together.

How exciting! 2018 holds many hopes for me as well as the girls and women I hope to reach out to. I have beautiful projects I’ve been working that will be ready I hope in a couple of weeks to launch and share publicly. But for now, I will share just a bit;

You might discover that I spent the year 2017 improving my skills and laying foundation for some of the things I plan of achieving in 2018. On a digital front, In the course of the past year, I became a Technovation Mentor where I have journeyed with girls on the way of becoming technology entrepreneurs. As a Worldpulse women leader, after my Digital Change-making 101 training, I became one of the Women and the Web Alliance Technology workshop facilitator in Nigeria which qualified me for ‘Intel Learning Easy Steps (ILES) Master Trainer course that made me a licensed Intel Master Trainer. Again, I was offered a scholarship by Andela supported by Google for an Android Learning Community (ALC) program which I successfully became one of its pioneered fellows. I have been awarded a Diploma in Information Technology, General Application from the University of Jos, all in 2017.

I have lived the year 2017 with eagerness to learn new skills,making connections, establishing partnership and exploring beautiful opportunities in order to make my 2018 Vision possible.Even thou, it ended up so hectic with various hurdles and challenges including busy schedules, extensive projects, total commitment and high financial demands, it was a year of awesomeness as I mentioned earlier that I started off the year great with opportunitiesto improve my skills and laying foundation for the things I plan of achieving in 2018.

This year 2018, Information and communications technologies holds me much promise as empowering tool for the young people I work among who are critically in need of timely and easy access to information about agriculture, health, employment, education and especially economic opportunities. My decision in employing this methodology in 2018 rooted in my personal experience and background.

And communication from personal experience, I hope to integrate digital literacy into the Girls Education Mission International’s programs to enable women access hardware, software, internet connectivity and ongoing support.Increasing the economic opportunities for women and girls in ICT -enabled skill training, employment, online work or improved businesses through the use of internet. This I plan to implement through various theoretical and practical applications.

Let us keep in touch as I soon unveil the amazing projects to implement for theyear 2018.

I am honored to serve our teeming future mothers (Girls) with you in 2017 and hopeful for what wecan accomplish together in 2018

Happy New Year to You From Me!

With gratitude

Keturah Shammah

Founder/Executive Director

Girls Education Mission International

Nigeria