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You can still believe in us...

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I’ve discovered that there is more to me, I didn’t know that one day I would be doing an assignment with global significance
-        Samuel Solomon, Student, GTC Port Harcourt.

                                
Samuel Solomon, 18, is a student of Government Technical College, Port Harcourt. His life has taken a new turn as he is adding value to society. Samuel now campaigns for the Sustainable Development Goals, by carrying the SDGs sticker on his school bag wherever he goes.
‘Whenever I walk back home, in school as I do my job as the social prefect, I get questions, what is this you’re carry on your bag – and I get to answer them, having learnt so much about the goals at the Port Harcourt Sustainable Development Goals Awareness Symposium, ‘I’ve discovered that there is more to me, I didn’t know that one day I would be doing an assignment with global significance’, Samuel says.


Samuel’s story isn’t far from Chimenum Wobo’s, a student of the University of Port Harcourt, who said ‘Most of the things I’ve been learning are wrong, I am a global citizen’ or Mrs. Furo, that works with the government who now talks to everyone she meets about the goals.
Whenever you mention the Nigerian youth, we would be tagged with activities that do not speak so well – violence, or may be used as some statistic. My generation is written off as lost.

     Young Nigerians convene Port Harcourt Sustainable Development Goals Awareness Symposium: #MyWorldPlan
However, we are changing that narrative, we are the takeover generation. The Social Change Group – thirty-one very young persons mostly not above twenty-five with their own unique stories volunteered to convene the Port Harcourt Sustainable Development Goals Awareness Symposium on Thursday, 22nd June 2017, with the purpose of making the goals simpler and easier to understand; as we showed how through quality education, entrepreneurship and innovation we will be taking steps closer to the vision 2030.



What started as a scholarship requirement for the conveners – Ebovi & Esivi Solomon Wali - grew to become a global event with 204,000 insights on our #MyWorldPlan and hundreds in attendance – secondary school, university students, students with disabilities as we had a sign language instructor demonstrate to them, adults too.

A project like this was uncharted waters, we had done several others but this was different, we wanted to create so much impact that would be reaching so many at the same time, so we set out to garner partnerships and involve the necessary stake holders. We got support from Keeping It Real Foundation, DLB Youth Foundation, Rivers SDG Office, State Schools Board, private schools and much more.

We were able to get the very best of speakers on the goals in this region, Mrs. Bitebo Gogo, Dr. Mina Obanga, Ebenezar Wikina volunteer to come inspire the young persons on global citizenship, how entrepreneurship will take us steps closer to the goals and Afronelly, an OAP, anchor the event. The amazing part is that we contacted all these persons from Twitter and Instagram. We also had the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Onimim Jack; speak on Agricultural Entrepreneurship and the goals, and the Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on the SDGs, speak on the Role of Government in actualizing the SDGs.

                                                  


Apart from speaking, participants were inspired by the exhibitions of several entrepreneurs – On the spot Introduction to Coding by Learn2Code; Code2Earn Project, fashion and beauty exhibitions, football tournament exhibition. There was live dance and an environmental playlet by the primary school pupils of our host school – St. Andrews U.B.E Model School, Port Harcourt.



What our generation yearns for is a platform, maybe some form of support. When you see a youth commit to a worthy cause, encourage them. Let us reward good behaviour when we see it. We have potentials. We speak for a generation; you can still believe in us!
Share your thoughts!
Read this blog posts to see young persons changing the African Youth Narrative
Give Us a Seat at the Table
A Better Society for Princess

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