Echoes from the Trenches: Keep Casting Your Bread on the Waters—Keep Your Eye on the Goal, A Critical Eye is Watching to Reward Your Efforts

I was 18 years old when my first article was published in The Punch newspaper, one of the leading national newspapers in Nigeria, precisely on the 10th of June 1988. Before that, I had never been published, but I had access to The Punch, particularly to follow the activism of my uncle, the indefatigable Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who often had his works featured there and in other national dailies. My grandmother bought newspapers almost every day, especially when she knew my uncle had something major coming out. I developed the habit of helping her read the newspapers the best I could, and she called me her secretary.

I wrote that article with pen and paper—I couldn't even afford the cost of typing it—and sent it off. We were being terrorized by some military men on our street, Okedasa Street, Ondo, Ondo State, and I felt it was unjust and needed to be addressed. No one promised me it would be published, but I tried anyway. My egbon, Egin Folajole Olagoke, JP, helped me edit the article. I remember the excitement when my article was published. I showed it to my cousin, Miss Bose Atolaigbe, of blessed memory, who couldn't believe I was the one who had written it.

Fast forward to today, I have not stopped writing since then. By the grace of God, I have kept the fire burning. What was once a little flicker has become a large conflagration—a movement of Personal Development, Sociocultural and Legal Empowerment, and Value-Based Advocacy in my field, recognized as the doyen in Nigeria, arguably Africa, and across the globe. I now have a bibliography over 400 pages long, filled with references to my work, both in print and online. This bibliography is available on the website of our pioneering Child Media Advocacy Project, (https://www.childreninfobank.com), our effort at providing past and live data (news, research, policies, and educational resources) to drive Personal Development, Sociocultural and Legal Empowerment, and Value-Based Advocacy in the fields of Family Strengthening, Securing A Friendly and Protective Environment for Children?, and Rights-Based Parenting? across the continents of the world. I've been featured in every major newspaper in Nigeria, taking both the front and back pages multiple times and appearing on major TV programs and international media platforms like BBC and CNBC. Additionally, my work has been showcased by social media giants Facebook and Google at a major conference in Europe. But the seed was sown when I chose to use what I had to start, even though it didn't seem enough or appropriate.

My blog, www.taiwoakinlamiblog.com, has been running for many years and is now quoted in diverse international journals. It is read in over 190 countries around the world. One day, I started receiving emails that my blog was being cited in various journals, which was a testament to the reach and impact of my work.

I remember appearing on the program "One-on-One" on April 4, 2000, a massive platform on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), which boasted over 30 million Nigerian viewers. I was interviewed by the veteran Adesuwa Onyenokwe. I was 30 years old, and she told me that apart from the beauty queens on the show, I was the youngest person ever to appear on the show. It all started with a letter I wrote to the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police, and the Chief Judge, addressing the enforcement of prostitution laws in Lagos State. This letter reached media houses, including NTA, leading to my invitation to the program.

I remember approaching UNICEF a few years after I started my project. It was during the Global Movement for Children in 2002, spearheaded by Dr. Nelson Mandela and Gra?a Machel. Inspired by their 10-point agenda, I wrote a collection of poems. This time, I had some money to type them up. I excitedly presented my poems to UNICEF's B Field office in Lagos, but the lady there looked at me expressionless and returned my poems, saying, "UNICEF does not sponsor what it has not initiated." Though disheartened, I continued my work.

Two years later, in 2004, I started a column with the Daily Independent. Mr. Geoffrey Njoku noticed my work after 52 consecutive articles and invited me for a project with UNICEF at the national office in Nigeria. What if I had been discouraged by my experience with the regional B-field Office of UNICEF? Persistence pays off. In 2006, I got married, and my wife and I were looking to see what was next. My phone rang—it was Mr. Njoku with an opportunity. He introduced me to a UNICEF project about mainstreaming child rights education into the Nigerian Institute of Journalism's curriculum, which is today being taught in all faculties of mass communication in Nigeria. The project was initially meant for someone else, a professor of law, but Mr. Njoku and a professor of mass communication involved decided I was the perfect fit because of my background in law and media, particularly through my Daily Independent column. That experience opened doors for me, leading to the development of a 24-module curriculum for the British Council, and I have since developed curricula for international organizations like SOS Children’s Village. The point here is that I was positioned for my dream with that column in Daily Independent and my other articles in the newspaper, as Mr. Olakunle Soriyan (aka PK) would say.

Very recently, a school approached me for training but found my fee too high. However, a major decision-maker there discovered my YouTube channel, which humbly boasts over 23,000 subscribers, leading to a change of heart. In the end, I was offered double the training sessions instead of just the one we were discussing. Another day, I received a call from a woman in Canada who had been following and sharing my YouTube content. There have been instances where people have reached out to request permission to reshare my YouTube content. What if I hadn't started that channel?

Volunteering has been a cornerstone of my impact. Everything significant in my life today began with volunteering, bringing resources and significance in return. Since my school days and throughout my career, I have never been out of engagement or jobless. I have always hired myself through volunteering. I either take advantage of existing volunteering opportunities or study companies and groups I am interested in, find a loophole in their system, and offer to solve the problem. That was the pathway to my work being showcased at the Child Safety Conference of Facebook and Google at the city of Dublin, Republic of Ireland. An organization for whom I offered such a service introduced me to Oxbridge Tutorial College, where I met Dr. Mrs. Femi Ogunsanya. This connection led me to APEN and the APEN Conference. Since I spoke at the APEN Conference in 2010, my phone has not stopped ringing 14 years later. I have been invited back multiple times.

The moral of these experiences is clear: there is never a perfect time to start something. When I wrote my first article for a national newspaper, I didn't have access to a typewriter. We had community newspapers like Ekimogun News, where I could have walked to their office in Ondo town, but I chose to take the long shot for a leading national daily with only a pen, paper, and a burning desire to protest the injustices I saw. Despite not having everything in place, I went ahead and did what I had to do, and it caught the editor's attention. What if I had never tried?

Young people often ask me if they need a sponsor to start. I always tell them to start with what they have. Faithfulness in little brings more. There's always something in your hand if you look closely. No one is empty-handed. When you start, the rest will be history.

The lesson here is to start from somewhere and keep going. Tenacity pays off. Many milestones in my life are traceable to efforts and relationships, never despising humble beginnings or people. There’s always a big and critical eye watching you. You never know which effort will pay off. Thus, the book that I read says, ‘Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, [be diligently active, make thoughtful decisions], for you will find it after many days.’

In conclusion, start with what you have. Respect people and relationships. Keep going and remember that there’s always something you can begin with. Every significant achievement in my life is traceable to starting with what I had, being persistent, and valuing every relationship.

Thank you very much and do have an INSPIRED rest of the week.