Tag / nigeria

by Yumnah Jones

Rahma Abdulmannan

Rahma Abdulmannan, co-founder of Creating Happiness and Assistance Foundation (CHAF)

Rahma Abdulmannan, the co-founder of Creating Happiness and Assistance Foundation (CHAF), and a nurse by profession, is driven by her passion for making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than her. As a humanitarian and a lifelong volunteer, her area of interest has always been focused on the empowerment of the girl-child and on orphans. Her story shows us that the privileges we may take for granted are not necessarily the reality of those around us and that oftentimes, it takes one person to make the difference in the trajectory of the lives of others and that we should never underestimate the power of the impact that we each hold within our hands.

This is Rahma’s story …

Being born in rural Kano State, Nigeria, a society in which cultural perceptions often dictate the lived reality of girls and women around me, stands in stark contrast to the home environment in which I was nurtured. As a little girl, the third child of five siblings born to a Yemeni mother and a Nigerian father, I have had the privilege of being raised by open-minded parents who were driven by an ethos of religion and not cultural beliefs steeped in ignorance.

Growing up, I always thought that the egalitarian values of my home environment extended to those around me, to relatives, close associates and family friends. I always felt that the treatment of girls and women as second-class citizens was the further reality, the reality of others, confined only to certain spaces within our society even though I was an active part of it as I was volunteering throughout secondary school at various organizations and orphanages. However, the veil of naivety fell from my eyes, when years later, I was preparing to attend university and my father sought out counsel, with his kinsmen, if he should send me to join my elder sister, to study in Cairo, at The British University of Egypt. I was of the former belief that our fellow kinsmen, males I regarded as second fathers, would be supportive of his intentions but alas! Instead, my father was met with disdain, mockery and patriarchal mindsets. They all laughed at my father, discouraging him, and saying that it would be a waste of his resources to continue spending money on me or any of his four daughters. They were clear in their worldview that the purpose of the girl-child is to be married off, to raise a family and to not have the liberty of a career. To their dismay, my father believed that all five of his children, both his only son and all of his daughters, should receive the same privileges and that just because men may have a degree of responsibility over women, in looking after them, did not mean that women should be deprived of their rights. Through the Grace Of God, my parents – both businesspeople – sent me to join my sister in Cairo, Egypt where she was already studying pharmacy and where I was to embark on a BSc Degree in Nursing.

From 2019 to 2024, I studied in Cairo and during semester vacations, I returned home, continuing with tuition classes and my volunteerism. In 2022, during one of these semester breaks, I stumbled upon a fifteen-year-old girl. It was one late evening, while returning home from lectures, when I saw her. Her face was swollen, and she was unkempt. I saw from a distance that she was sobbing but despite being by the roadside in a heavy downpour, everyone looked her way, saw her state, but no one did anything to assist her. After half an hour of keenly observing, I went up to her, saddened by the lack of sympathy towards her and driven by curiosity to assist her. I introduced myself, and asked her to follow me to the nearest possible shelter, since there were no shelters within walking distance, but she refused. After much placating and reassurance, I convinced her that she is safe with me. She eventually relented and we went to the nearest restaurant, where she washed her face and was served food. Upon finishing our meals, I encouraged her to share her story with me and her story was a tale I have heard all too often throughout my years of volunteering. Her story was one of maltreatment, physical abuse and violence at the hands of her own blood, her aunt. Six months prior to our encounter, she lost her parents to a land dispute and since she was the only child of her late parents, she was made to go stay with her mother’s elder sister. Escaping abuse, she ended up on the streets that night where our paths crossed. With all the details on hand, I then took her to the community leader, the next day, where arrangements were made for her better welfare. Fast forward to 2025, she is happier and is in the first year at university. However, not many of these girls have happy endings. There are many girls and women in the rural parts of Nigeria that face innumerable barriers with zero to minimal opportunities to education, employment and healthcare services while having to contend with social issues such as early marriages, domestic violence, rape and unwanted pregnancies.

Coming from a privileged upbringing and with my passion for humanitarian work, I was geared to wanting to be an agent of change within my society. One year prior to meeting the fifteen-year-old girl, I officially became a volunteer at Creating Happiness and Assistance Foundation (CHAF), a non-profit organization that was established in 2019, while I was in Egypt. I would return home and actively volunteered in the organization until the principal founder, Mr. Aliyu Bello, proposed that I become a co-founder of CHAF as the team was looking to partner with someone with a medical background.

In 2023, I officially joined as the co-founder of CHAF and since then, we have expanded our networks and programmes with a primary focus on widows and orphans. As an organization, we work across four spectrums: personal development, healthcare and medicine, education, and empowerment. Through fundraising campaigns, we strive to create activities that are both educative and entertaining to foster the personal development of orphans, render quality medical assistance to widows and orphans by paying their hospital bills and buying medicine for them, create supportive learning environments, empower young minds for a brighter future and establish sustainable businesses for widows, with orphans under their care, by training and supervising them to be able to independently raise their own children.

Across the country of Nigeria, there is a high rate of orphans due to abandonment relating to poverty and because of children that are born out of wedlock, not because of the death of their parents. Many cases, both reported and unreported, are incidences of babies abandoned at the doorsteps of many residences, found in trashcans and across public places. In the case of reported incidences, these abandoned babies are brought in by the public to organizations, such as CHAF, who then report such incidences to the police and place these vulnerable children in orphanages. While our current focus is on orphans and widows with projects such as Our Kids to the World and Widow Empowerment and Ramadan Feeding, going forward we hope to expand even further by focusing on Back-to-School Drives, Menstrual Hygiene Practices for Girls and Health for All.

Besides my involvement as a co-founder, and being a professional nurse, I am also involved in creating public awareness through radio presentations and offer discounted prices on my products, bought for orphans, under my shoe enterprise, Sparklee Shoeroom. Everything in my life is driven by the question: how can I make life better for those less fortunate than me? Sometimes, I question why I have been given the opportunities that others may not have been granted but then I realize that better opportunities do not mean that I have to improve my lifestyle, it simply means that God is using me as a tool to help others. While I may not be able to change the world, I believe in the power of one person. It takes one person to make the difference in the life of another person and it takes one person to change the outcome of another person. If I am that one person that can make the difference in the life of another person, then I am not just changing that person’s life but also the lives of their coming generation and I would want to be that person.  

If you are interested in learning more about Rahma or would like to get in contact with her, please reach out via the website https://www.chafoundation.com/, their Facebook page, Creating Happiness Foundation – CHAF, or email her at agadrahma@gmail.com.

by Yumnah Jones

Joy Chinwe Aguguo

Joy Chinwe Aguguo, founder of the Joy Chinwe Foundation and Joy in Health

Joy Chinwe Aguguo, the founder of Joy Chinwe Foundation and Joy in Health is motivated by her personal experience, of leaving her Nigerian homeland to the shores of Europe. She is driven to create awareness, on migration and health, for the minority groups within her newfound home and dedicates her time to uplifting and empowering others, such as herself. She wears many hats, as an author, a motivational speaker, a woman in tech and a health advocate. Her story shows us that traversing foreign terrains is never an easy feat but with the right mindset, you can achieve anything.

This is Joy’s story …

As the eldest daughter, born into an Igbo family in the Eastern parts of Nigeria, I always felt the need to empower myself with the deep-seated desire of supporting my loved ones and this desire was strengthened by the sudden passing of my father during my secondary school years. The devastation and grief that accompanied me with the loss of my father was searingly painful, but this motivated me even more to pursue my education and subsequently increase my employment potentiality. While I intended to study Medicine, unforeseen circumstances lead me to pursue a degree in Marketing. 

During my studies in Marketing, a fated encounter with a Nigerian man, working in Italy, at that time, changed the trajectory of my path. I was initially hesitant in marrying him because this meant I would forsake my dream of attaining my higher education but with the intervention of my grandmother who approached the family stipulating her condition of first wanting me to finish my degree in Nigeria, I happily married my husband, upon the completion of my degree, and excitedly followed him to the shores of Italy.

In 1999, I arrived in Italy with great hopes and expectations, as the perception within my community and in the broader African context, was that Europe is a land of opportunities, especially prior to the growing European migrant crisis. However, this feeling was short-lived as the harsh realities of migration in Europe started to sink in and within the first six months, I was battling with language barriers, cultural adjustments, stereotypical views of African immigrants and the icy cold European weather and was struggling to find employment, going for months without a job. 

It was a stressful period for me as I was desperately seeking work until an opportunity finally arrived when a friend informed us of a company in a neighbouring village that was seeking employees. Filled with anticipation and optimism, I was accompanied by my brother-in-law to pursue this opportunity, only to be met with a devastating (and heartbreaking) blow. The director callously informed us that “no blacks” were welcomed. Overwhelmed with a sense of injustice, I wept bitterly, grappling with the realization that, in their eyes, I was reduced to nothing more than my race and immigration status, despite knowing my worth as a capable human being. 

Despite my despair, the rejection proved to be a catalyst for my growth. More determined and refusing to let adversity get the better of me, I started researching any available offers and seized an opportunity to enrol in a one-year social care programme, which was a totally different field from Marketing. Nonetheless, the different path chosen led me to meaningful experiences.

After completing the social care programme, I secured a position as a social assistant for the elderly in a hospital in Italy. Through this experience, I encountered like-minded individuals who viewed me neither as black or an immigrant, but as a contributing citizen, based on my essence. Although the early stages of my work were marked by instances of racism, discrimination, and disrespect from some colleagues, the unwavering support from my director, managers, and close colleagues prevented these challenges from significantly affecting me. Additionally, I have diligently mastered the Italian language and forged meaningful relationships during my time in Italy, fostering connections with both Italians and individuals of other nationalities. Therefore, what initially appeared to be a bitter experience in my job search ultimately revealed itself as a blessing in disguise.

While carving out a good and sustainable life for myself in Italy, giving birth to three beautiful children and working in hospital, I was consciously aware of the plight of my fellow Africans, crossing perilous waters, in dinghy boats, in search of a better life who now had to battle with issues such as human trafficking and illegal migration on the shores of Europe. Through my observations, I was inspired to write my story, drawing from my own experiences as an African living on European shores to create awareness for my fellow Africans and to debunk the myths of life in Europe. With this, I penned and published my first book entitled The Morning Sunset.  

In addition to my first book, I established the Joy Chinwe Foundation with the aim of raising awareness among the people of Africa about the perils of illegal migration and undertaking hazardous journeys, to Europe. As an organization, we provide support to victims of human trafficking and illegal migration. The aims and objectives of the Joy Chinwe Foundation is to campaign for the provision of support in the development and delivery of programmes, studies, and technical expertise on combating migrant smuggling and trafficking of women, and children in a manner consistent with law, to sensitize young people on the dangers behind travelling to the West, through the desert and the Mediterranean Sea and we offer expert advice, research, and needed financial assistance to the victims of human trafficking. 

After thirteen years in Italy, we left for the United Kingdom in pursuit of better educational opportunities for our children, especially when my eldest daughter entered secondary school. Comparatively, the United Kingdom was so much easier to relocate to as there were no language barriers. It was while working briefly in residential homes, that I got admitted into a Masters programme, subsequently attaining a Masters in Human Resource Management, and eventually specializing and earning the professional distinction of being a Chartered Member of the United Kingdom’s Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), currently navigating the ever-evolving landscape of Information Technology and finding myself at the intersection of human ingenuity and technological advancement.  

Although I was chasing the corporate world, in my heart, I was still driven by a fervent commitment to effect change and subsequently, established another non-profit organization called Joy in Health. The purpose of Joy in Health is dedicated to the physical and mental well-being of Black, Asian and Minority ethnic groups and strives to dispel the ignorance associated with the importance of their well-being which inadvertently leads them to neglecting their health.

Through awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, and digital platforms, Joy in Health strives to empower individuals to prioritize their health and lead fulfilling lives by providing insights on managing diseases like high blood pressure, mental health, kidney diseases, and diabetes. We prioritize education by extending our efforts to social media platforms, particularly YouTube and podcasting, where we collaborate with medical professionals to disseminate crucial health information within our communities, such as healthcare awareness and prevention and cure of ill-health related ailments, to foster a culture of proactive self-care. We intend not only to inform but also to bridge the gap in understanding, speaking in ways and languages, that resonates with the diverse communities within the Black, Asian, Minority ethnic population with the goal of a healthier population who have access to their fundamental human right of high-quality healthcare.

Looking back on my journey, leaving my country at the age of 23, to build a life with someone I barely knew, at the time, I can honestly say this; you never know what is waiting for you on the other side of taking risks and all it takes is courage. Some might say I was young and naïve but like a child, any child, they learn and grow by not knowing and that ignorance is their biggest asset because to know is to fear. If I knew I would be facing all the hurdles I subsequently did, I probably would have said no but I took that leap of faith with great hopes and in spite of all the struggles, it has been a journey worth taking because if I didn’t embark on the journey I did, I would never have made the impact I do, in the way I do, which is powered by my personal experience.

In the mosaic of my life, today, I find myself at the crossroads of various roles; a professional in Information Technology, a devoted mother to three children, a supportive wife, and a fervent advocate for health and well-being. Each aspect of my journey adds depth and complexity to my narrative, weaving together a tapestry of experiences and aspirations. As I navigate through life, I am guided by the threads of curiosity, resilience, and a steadfast belief in the profound impact of both words and actions. Together, these elements shape the ever-evolving story of my life.

If you are interested in learning more about Joy or would like to get in contact with her, please reach out via her website, joyinhealthservices.com, check out her YouTube channel, Joy in Health by Joy Chinwe Aguguo, or email her at chinweduru@me.com.

by Yumnah Jones

Rachel Affiong Umoh

Rachel Affiong Umoh, founder of The Wonder In Me (TWIM)

Rachel Affiong Umoh is a driven and ambitious young woman. She is a compere, has her own West African pidgin YouTube Channel called Psyche Special TV, which focuses on mental health wellness and special needs, and is a qualified psychologist with a passion to help the most vulnerable within her society.  Her story shows us that the dreams we have may not always evolve as we anticipated but that we need to rise to the challenge that is presented to us because oftentimes, the challenge is the key to achieving our dreams.

This is Rachel’s story … 

Prior to my birth in Kaduna State, Nigeria, my parents both emigrated separately from their respective Yoruba and Ibibio states in the South of Nigeria before meeting, marrying, and raising their three daughters, of whom I am the eldest, in the North. We grew up culturally aware of the different tribes in our families, switching easily between speaking Ibibio in Akwalbom State and Yoruba in Ogun State, when visiting our extended families. Being born into an intertribal family has been, and still is, both a source of pride and honour for me but it has also made me attuned to and impacted by the tribalism that is rife in Nigeria.

As a minority tribe in the community where I grew up in, certain access and privileges were denied not just to my family but also to certain other tribes. We were deprived of free mosquito nets and COVID-19 pandemic palliatives, denied applying for vocational training programmes and poverty alleviation incentives, such as agricultural loans and business grants, that were provided for by the government, but which were locally administered. Through the local management of such programmes, we were never timeously informed or even allowed to participate in such incentives. Recurring stigmatization and discrimination, both historically and presently, of tribes over the hierarchical access to privileges, at grassroots level, often causes rising tensions which leads to communal and tribal clashes and inter-religious conflicts in both Northern and other parts of Nigeria.

Growing up and witnessing such forms of oppression, injustices, and corruption within my region and across Nigeria and having seen, first-hand, the adverse effects it often has on the most vulnerable groups within our society, moulded my perception of the unfairness of the World surrounding me. It motivated me to want to become a lawyer and solicit for the rights of the vulnerable and the violated, to be able to provide them with the adequate support to live independent and self-fulfilling lives

As a top achiever and having been elected as the president of the press club and debate club at secondary school, I applied to study law at my chosen university in the hopes of fulfilling my childhood dream. However, despite my excellent academic record, I was denied admission because my parents did not hold high-powered positions in the country. My mother is a teacher, by profession, and a serial entrepreneur, while my father is a civil servant, but they were not connected to the crème da la crème of society, and this affected my prospects of becoming a lawyer. It felt like a gross injustice but an accepting reality and with this in mind, I proceeded to change university and course with the aim of studying mass communication because I felt that I can still advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable but using a different tactic, mass media.

However, while I was accepted to study at the next chosen university and passed the qualifying exam to be admitted into the mass communication programme, when I received notification of acceptance, I discovered that instead of being admitted into the chosen programme, I was assigned to study psycho-social rehabilitation. While this may sound confusing to others, this is the norm across Nigerian society; you may apply for one course but might end up getting admitted to another course (that you never even chose as a second option!) but we take this either with a sense of humour or a pinch of salt.

Hence, my parents encouraged me to accept studying psycho-social rehabilitation, which would certify me as a psychologist, as God’s Will for my life and with this in mind, I made the intention to commit myself to this course chosen for me although I was, at the time, not happy with the choice as psychology was all new to me. However, I was pleasantly surprised because as I learnt more about psychology in the first few weeks after the commencement of the programme, I realized the level of impact I can leave in my wake with the exposure, skills and training I would receive during my studies. It made me realize that my childhood dream of advocating for women, displaced persons and the special-needs can still come to fruition through the tools of psycho-social rehabilitation. I took to learning with zest and learnt as much as I possibly could on rehabilitation, social violation cases, HIV testing and counselling and volunteered at relevant non-governmental organizations including a 6-month working stint at Kaduna State Rehabilitation Centre and a one-year compulsory internship at the Department of Social Welfare at a general hospital in Kaduna State. The theoretical and practical exposure has been tremendous, and I eventually qualified as a psychologist in 2020.  

It was during my final year of studies that I reached out to individuals within the rehabilitation and counselling sector to form a team and established a non-governmental organization, The Wonders In Me (TWIM). TWIM is a state-registered advocacy organization driven by the mission of a “Better Me For Better Society” and the belief that mental health wellness and inclusiveness is integral to a well-balanced and functioning society. While we advocate against the stigmatization and discrimination of persons with special needs, we have also ensured that 50% of our organization’s executive members and 50% of our volunteers constitutes persons with special needs. Thus, with the current 20 executive members, on board, and 100 volunteers, half of this number represents persons with special needs.

We advocate in communities, at schools, rehabilitation centres, internally displaced (IDP) camps, prisons, and other relevant organizations. The organization’s activities includes both social media campaigns and event hosting. For the past two years, we have launched mental health clubs in 20 secondary schools across Kaduna State, provided relief support to IDP camps, orphanages and rehabilitation centres and donated wheelchairs, crutches and braces, special education training materials and other rehabilitation aids to rehabilitation centres and special education schools. We also organize training programmes for staff on the proper use of modern-day rehabilitation services for children with sensory impairments and learning difficulties and host outreach awareness programmes, which includes guest speakers and key stakeholders. The long-term vision and current challenge are to get TWIM nationally registered and to establish our offices so that we can offer counselling and rehabilitation services to more individuals and expand on the current work that we do.

I am often asked what triggered my interest in advocating for special-needs as I am not a special-needs individual, but the truth is I am part of a minority tribe within my community, and this has deepened my insights into their sense and reality of not being included and having access to an active society. Thus, I would never want any special-needs individual to ever feel like they do not belong or cannot participate. Furthermore, the beauty of having grown up in an intertribal family is that it has granted me the understanding into different worlds that may, in other instances, view each with disdain or hostility and the truth is the spheres within which special-needs and able-bodied individuals navigate tend to be two different worlds. It is important to realize that irrespective of our tribal and religious affiliations, our nationalities, our abilities, or limitations, we are all the same. We are all human and it is important that we represent or provide the vulnerable and the violated with opportunities and platforms to be represented not because of their weaknesses but because they are capable, strong, and willing to participate in society that sadly, often, forgets them. It is important that we reach within ourselves and find our humanity and work together towards a world that can represent all of us and not one at the expense of another.  It is this passion that drives me, despite all my personal and professional challenges, and no matter the hurdles, my story is proof to every African woman that giving up on your dreams is not an option. Keep on striving for your dreams and utilize every opportunity that presents itself to you because all the small steps you take in your journey will lead to greater strides.

If you are interested in learning more about Rachel or would like to get in contact with her, please reach out via her Facebook page, TWIM “The Wonder In Me”, or email her at rachelumoh3@gmail.com or thewonderinme262@gmail.com