Grace Ihejiamaizu Interview

Grace Ihejiamaizu, is the founder of RYPE Initiative, an afterschool youth development project that is helping young people gain real skills to become leaders and entrepreneurs. It shows that she is doing a remarkable work as she was one of the young people who were representing Nigeria at the British Council Euro-Africa Youth Summit 2012 in Brussels, Belgium. In this interview she talks about her project, her achievements and her dreams, pretty much her life journey thus far.

YV: Who is Grace Ihejiamaizu?

I am a young person who loves making a difference. My unmatchable passion for the improvement of our society’s greatest assets – the youth, defines the who I am and what I do. I graduated tops from the University of Calabar in Cross River State Nigeria and since after graduation, I have been working on various projects that help to develop youths in my local community. I love Christ’s values, they guide my actions and I live by them.

YV: Where are you from?

I am from the South-Eastern Part of Nigeria but my work does not confine me. So I am proudly a Global Citizen!

YV: You participated in the 2010 Study of the US Institute for Student Leaders on Social Entrepreneurship Program. How long did the program run for?

Yes I did. The program lasted for approximately 5 weeks and it involved a four week intensive training program at the University of Connecticut and a one week complete/exciting tour of six states including New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston, and a visit to Virginia and the Amish Country (I loved this country villa the most).

YV: The U.S. Department of State selected you as September’s State Alumni Member of the Month. How did you feel about that being a young person from Nigeria?

I was really thrilled and excited. I just could not believe it especially because I always look forward to who is featured next. Being the youngest and first from Sub-Saharan Africa at the time was for me, a major achievement. Also, I thought it could not have come at a better time than in the month which was also my birth month. I got an avalanche of calls, mails and messages from far and near and some exposure for my project RYPE.

YV: What is it that you do?

I am an emerging Social Entrepreneur. I have never liked corporate work or charity work. I always wanted to do something but with an entrepreneurial backing and then I found and understood Social Entrepreneurship. I’m currently working on some projects.

YV: What motivated you to start RYPE (Raising Young Productive Entrepreneurs)?

After school and upon return from the SUSI Program, I felt a strong need to do something to help high school leavers make good use of their time, have a change of attitude, develop positive attitudes, have proper career guide and achieve success on the long run. I saw that they were no programs that cater for these set of youth in these areas in local community. This led me to carry out a research and the statistics and implications were quite disturbing. It is the knowledge of these coupled with my passion to help young people that motivated me to start RYPE. I have passed that stage and I believed that I could handle the target group confidently and make greater impact in their lives.

YV: What is the purpose of RYPE?

RYPE simply aims to solve the youth unemployment issues. We understand that the problem is caused majorly by the un-employability and lack of entrepreneurial skills in recent graduates. Rather than starting from the top, we are starting from the bottom – high school leavers – to help young people acquire the necessary skills and get prepared for the place of work and higher institutions. RYPE’s mission is to educate, engage and empower high school leavers to become better people and achieve success.

YV: What are some of the challenges you faced trying to set up RYPE as a young person?

The lack of local community support, resistance to our programs by the school leavers, and the general finance challenge, are some of the challenges I faced while setting up.

YV: How many young people RYPE has reached?

By God’s Grace, we have reached over 250 young people.

YV: How do you reach out to young people?

For my target group, it’s quite difficult. But I reach out to them through word of mouth, referrals, social media, lesson/tutorial centers and churches. Young people generally can be found anywhere and depending on the occasion, my team and I try to explore every possible medium.

YV: Do you believe mentoring will help young people in Africa to start their own businesses?

I believe so. Although many people believe that the best teacher is Mr. Experience, to a large extent on the contrary, there is no effective growth without proper guidance either from a book, someone’s life story guidance, parent or a mentor. In business/initiative, the importance of mentoring cannot be over-emphasized.

YV: How has RYPE changed your life?

RYPE has helped me leap forward through the various experiences I have received, the activities I have been involved in, the networks I have created and the opportunities I have exploited including the risks and challenges I have taken and encountered. The truth is, you cannot remain the same if you are doing something that benefits others. There is always room for self-improvement.

YV: How do you sustain RYPE?

We currently have an expansion plan that will move RYPE from its present state (reliance on grants and donations) to a social enterprise that will continue to make an impact and also make enough profit to sustain its activities financially.

Also, we have a strong and passionate team of young people who are committed to ensuring that the vision is sustained and that the objectives are achieved.

There are other sustainability measures that are more specific to the various programs we have.

YV: What did you learn from Global Changemakers Program?

The Global Changemakers program was a rich learning experience. No doubt, it rekindled the fire for change in me and left me with the desire to do more. I learnt specifically about running project initiatives understood the rudiments of a social enterprise. The rich blend of the Europe and Africa divide with the talks about intercontinental collaborations broadened my horizon.

YV: What does it mean to be an African woman in the 21st century?

Being an African woman in the 21st century is not an easy task. There is a lot of demand and pressure. African women have always been associated with giving birth to children and bringing them up, doing certain ‘female’ tasks, keeping their homes and supporting their husbands. While there is nothing wrong with this culture, I do not totally subscribe to it. The world is changing. Some professions and jobs have been male-dominated for a long time but women are now venturing into these areas.

Being an African woman means more than the traditional requirements. It involves working hard and smart, being focused, ambitious and working to make an impact locally and globally. Women are movers of the world and without them, there is really not much that can be achieved. As a young African woman, I have faced some challenges that could have stopped me from pursuing my goals but thanks to empowerment and personal development.

YV: Who inspires you?

There is no one person that inspires me. I have a bunch of God-sent mentors and helpers including my mother who inspire me.

YV: Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

I see myself exactly where God is leading me. I will be making greater impact, achieving greater heights, and still doing what I love!

YV: Who has given you the best advice? What was it?

My father – in blessed memory. Within the few years I spent with him before his demise, he taught me and my siblings a lot about God and living our lives to honour Him. He advised us to read our bibles and pray every day if we want to grow.

YV: Your advice to young people?

Stay focused! Get Smart! Find your niche, your passion and do something. Be teachable, learn to unlearn and relearn. Above all, please FIND God and draw closer to Him. His teachings are the best principles anywhere in the world and His Grace is sufficient for those who believe and trust him.

Grace also manages a blog at Opportunity Desk (http://opportunitydesk.org). Visit the blog to keep up with latest opportunities and useful resources.