To achieve your heart desires, think BIG, start SMALL — Dambo

Richard Dambo from Kaduna state, is a graduate of the University of Abuja. He writes for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Teach programme and founded the Kaduna Inclusive Education Initiative seven months ago. In this interview, he spoke about the think-tank initiative that engages communities, enlightening them on why they should avail their wards for western education.

and Technology wrote the foreword to it.

What’s the story behind this initiative? Sometimes last year, the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, at the signing of a pact between the Forum and Fundacion Profuturo, (a Spanish organisation for the enhancement of education in the north) acknowledged that the growing number of out-of-school children in the north was alarming and an irony.

Governor Shettima succinctly noted that while the north has about 41,913 public primary schools compared to 19,978 in the southern part of the country, the north can only boast of 34 per cent literacy rate compared to 67 per cent literacy rate in the southern part. This goes to show that, improving literacy level is much more than building classrooms.

My movement is poised to alter negative narratives that inhibit education, especially for the peasant children in rural communities.

As a young activist, what challenges do you encounter in driving this initiative?

The problem with activism as a young person is that people think you’re too young to influence social change. You begin to hear things like “this small boy”. Some people will always try to deflate your ego, but in the end, my tenacity of purpose proved them wrong.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am working in partnership with Kaduna State Ministry of Education towards organizing the first edition of Kaduna Youth and Students Symposium by November 2018.

What other activities are you engaged in?

I watch football and always try writing about socio-political issues that are dear to my heart. Writing at my spare time culminated into a book I titled: ‘Politics of Free Basic Education’ to be launched tomorrow, July 28, 2018 at the Kaduna State University Auditorium. Alhaji Ja’afaru Ibrahim Sani, the Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Science

At your Initiative, what is the strength of the members?

We now have over 500 followers and still counting

What are the expansion plans for this initiative?

I am very passionate about anything pertaining to youth development. Having been a delegate at the Pan-African Youth Conference, and an official at Fixing Nigeria Youth Conference. I intend to replicate such in Kaduna; in three years from now, I want to be organizing the biggest youth gathering in Northern Nigeria.

Is there a chance for youth to achieve their empowerment goals in the forum?

Of course, knowledge is power! My movement brings knowledge and skills from a global perspective. With resource persons from local and international bodies, we try to spur youth and students into political participation, SMEs and gender equity.

What is your advice to youth, many of who are still unemployed?

The route to achieving your heart desires is to think BIG and start SMALL. The problem with most of us graduates is that we allow the exaggerated thought of having a degree get into our heads.