Why I Focus on Youth Development - A Profile of URI Youth Ambassador Maxwell Ogaga
by Victor Gotevbe
(the following are some short excerpts from the full piece. To read the full article, please click: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/03/why-i-focus-on-youth-development-maxwell-ogaga/ )
Maxwell Ogaga is actively involved in youth development activities both within and outside the country. He has impacted positively a lot of young people in Africa and he is passionate about sustainable visionary leadership in Africa. He serves as a mentor, facilitator and chair of several youth projects and programmes in Nigeria and globally.
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My inspiration came from watching young people around my city, Warri. I realized many of them complained bitterly about what they don’t have, and what the government is not doing for them, thereby refusing to take action for their lives.
Having read widely, I know that many people who initiated change did that at a very young age, because of either their response to circumstances around them or the information they had. This was what prompted me to focus on youth development.
In 2006, after the completion of my National Youth Service Corps in Zamfara State, I returned to Warri where I decided to organize a conference. I had read about and met some interesting young people. One of them was Gbenga Sesan who I had a dream to bring to Warri to inspire youths living in Warri.
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I spent the first 16 years of my life in the Isoko villages of Iyede, Ozoro and Oleh where I had my primary and secondary school education. I am a graduate of Social Studies Education from Delta State University and I hold a few online certificates from Youth Action for Change, Italy and CLCLWA West Africa.
I grew up with strict ethical values imparted into me by my parents who up till date are guiding lights in a dark world. One of the greatest virtues was love for books, the Bible and prayer; these three remain the cardinal points in my life.
My role as URI Youth Ambassador for Africa
United Religions Initiative (URI) is a global grassroots interfaith network that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities and the world.
The purpose of the URI Youth Ambassadors program is to develop the leadership capacities of selected young people from the URI network and likeminded organizations, and to grow and strengthen the movement by building up this new generation of interfaith leaders.
Over the course of one year, the ambassadors will receive training, tools, mentorship and opportunities to participate in interfaith activities and events.
In exchange, these leaders will commit to organize an interfaith service project in their community, set up a Cooperation Circle in their locality or around a specific topic, and utilize social networks and media to publicize the ideals and vision of the URI.
Ambassadors are selected through an application and shortlisted. There is a phone interview; and candidates are chosen based on either their knowledge and commitment to interfaith work or the quality of the project they present in their application.
This project will receive funding and support to enable it to happen. Ambassadors are also given scholarships to attend a leadership training program in their region, where they can collaborate with other ambassadors, past and present; and connect to the wider work of URI in their region.
I passed through all this stages and was selected in 2011. In Africa right now,I am helping to form the URI Africa Youth Network and also working on my “1plate project”
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My current work
Presently, I am working on a Youth Camp scheduled for August, 2012 to train and empower teens and youths. Also as URI African Ambassador I am mobilizing funds to purchase food for starving women and children in Somalia called the “1plateproject”. I came up with this project when I visited Uganda last year and met with the Somali Ambassador who gave us the situation report of the refugees.
Young people can
We should believe first of all in our nation, build the right ethics and values, find our life mission and pursue it with all our heart. If we all pursue our life mission we would not have time to create trouble rather we would be contributing positively to nation building.
(please see http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/03/why-i-focus-on-youth-development-maxwell-ogaga/ for the full version of this wonderful profile.)
