From contributing and providing high-quality contents to Google Maps and making the Maps good for everyone, some members of the Nigerian Local Guides community are championing and advocating a good cause for humanity to help make an impact in the Nigerian community and beyond. Until recently, there have been some spotlight on some Local Guides who are actively engaged in a lot of social activities which range from mapping rural communities to been actively involved with NGO’s, delivering Google digital skills training to members of the public, advocates of gender equalities and also advocates of technology. I want to sincerely applaud all their efforts as they are making a difference in the society. Recently I got chance to interact with them and ask them about their activities and here is what they had to share with me. Get to know some of them in the thread below.
Vera Ikejiobi @Vera_chidera
As an advocate of gender equality and fight against rape, I have organized and executed talks and awareness starting from local schools in my local area. I organise an event in 2017 under the auspices of Young African Leaders. I will definitely organize another sensitization event before the end of 2018 so be on the lookout for it. I plan to register an NGO in the future or liaise with one in that strain. In the meantime, I volunteer for other worthy causes.
Isaac Idemudia @Idemudia
I work with an NGO- International Climate Change Development Initiative. We educate people about the environment, climate change, waste management, sustainable development goals (SDGs), also known as global goals or Agenda2030 and the need to ensure a healthy and safe environment. We currently have a project running, it involves educating students and lecturers in higher institutions about the global goals of the United Nations (2016-2030) and how it can be localized in solving the perennial problems in their communities. We also teach secondary school students on the benefits of recycling and implementing the 4Rs of waste management and reduction- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recovery. Not many people are aware of this. We also engage the Twitter community every Wednesday, 3-4pm to enlighten them about climate change and it’s effect on the environment. You can follow @climatewed to keep up with our discussion.
Ibrahim Gana @@iGana
As an advocate of technology I try to encourage and educate atleast a single person a day especially women. I try to encourage and support women to go onto the tech space, because it is a male dominated industry and I have this mindset that i believe only females can build better solutions for females. I am also part of an organisation called "Project Candlelight. It is civic engagement organisation that is passionate about bringing about change and development. We initiate and implement various campaigns and activities to achieve different goals. This year we are hoping to consolidate and move the organisation forward by running the #VoteNaija campaign. This campaign’s main goal is to encourage young Nigerians to exercise their civic duty by voting. We perform different activities to sensitize the public and also publish voters educational content and materials.
Emeka Ulor @EmekaUlor
In the past 15years, as a co founder of Habitatcare an NGO we have been involved in providing VIP toilets to rural communities, mitigating erosion and enlightment on climate change. I have been a caretaker- providing support for HIV/AIDs patients of which many people today find it hard to do. I volunteered to provide water and VIP toilets in Osun State Nigeria, books and uniforms for primary schools. I still support an orphanage till today. I also initiated an art festival to discover talents in rural communities in 2017. I also host annual TEDx events to enable young people share their research, skills and talent. Doing this gives me passion and I am extremely happy contributing my part to a better Nigeria
Briggs Ibiso @BriggsPh
I volunteer with the red cross society of Nigeria. As a red cross volunteer for a year, we provide humanitarian aid to people in the rural areas by donating medical supplies and relief materials. We also install bore holes that makes use of solar power so that the local community can have adequate access to portable water anytime of the day. I also donate to orphanages around my city regularly. Whenever am out there, I always make sure to map out orphanage centers on Google Maps so as to increase the online visibility of this places on Google Maps to attract more donors for people who are looking for orphanage centers to donate and also create awareness for the orphans. Doing this brings great joy and satisfaction to me. I am happy to do this for Nigeria
Abdullahi Abdukabir @Abdullahi_cap
For me I have always been an advocate of tech. I volunteer to train people especially the young ones, so that they can affect the society positively. As the world is moving to 4IR(4th industrial revolution), my goal is to try to make unemployment rate minimal in Nigeria. This is something I believe that can be achieved and I am contributing my part to make this a reality.
Yusuf Sodiq @ysodiqakanni
I am a software engineer. My interest has always been in teaching people about technology and volunteering in communities or groups whose goals are towards education, technological advancement, nation building and poverty eradication. I once volunteered in a Microsoft App Factory program to train interns on software development. I also volunteered in organizing an international conference in New York - The Developer Week June 2018. I am presently a volunteer for Engage Diaspora Foundation, an NGO in Maryland, US. Our goal is to strengthen the African community in Diaspora so as to bring about the development of the African people both home and abroad. Our key interests are in SMEs, entrepreneurship, poverty eradication and education. I aspire to get an NGO in Nigeria in a few years to come with the goal of bringing education to the less privileged especially in rural areas through provision of learning materials, scholarships and guidance to the students.
It was great to read through their experiences, no doubt they are socially making an impact in their communities and beyond. Whenever you see them, make sure you give them a hi-5 and don’t forget to also ask them to share more experiences with you because I believe they have a whole lot to share. Of course they are many other local guides like this in the community who are socially making an impact, as I get to meet and interact with them, I would share their experiences with you all.
