Standing Out

Why fit in when you can stand out?—Dr. Seuss

In the winter of 2023, I watched my 8-year-old daughter refuse to speak up during a virtual class after being asked a question she knew the answer to. I was furious but asked her why she didn't answer and she went mute, making me even madder. After she mustered the courage to speak up, she said " Mummy, you are smarter than I am, and you are not shy about speaking in front of people."

I sighed

As her statement continued to ring in my head, I reflected on my life before I became a social impact leader. I was very timid; I could hardly stand up for myself, talkless about addressing a crowd. In the last five years, I have lost count of how many groups I have led or spoken in front of.

I found my voice in a cause

I realized something: my passion for climate change communication made me an avid speaker. I don't care how intimidating someone is when I talk about my passion, I blot it away. Talking more about my work made finding my niche in public health quite easy.

How it all started

My mandatory post-graduate service year started in April 2017 and I was posted to the eastern part of Nigeria. I was deployed to serve at Holy Rosary College, Enugu , to teach food and nutrition to grades 9–12. Since it was an all-girls school, I saw an opportunity to engage them in some social impact activities, so each day after class we took an extra 15 minutes to talk about issues such as sexual health, girls' rights, environmental health, etc.

Around the third anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok girls, I engaged the girls in an advocacy campaign for girl's right to education and life. After the campaign, Celebrating Every Day Women Center, a local non-profit, invited me to speak about maternal and child health. I remember making repetitions during the speech and mincing words together but I got through it. I later engaged some nursing mothers in breastfeeding practices and postpartum exercises, and I noticed I was very good at it so I dropped the mic better to focus on your strengths.

I was later offered an intern position at the center, and this was my first experience with a non-profit. I juggled all these while maintaining a public health programs officer virtually, at the Akerele Health Center in Lagos. I conducted field research, advocated for campaigns, and developed short health communication materials for maternal and children's environmental health, reaching over 500 households in the Uwani local government of Enugu State.

In August 2018, I volunteered for the Young African Leadership Initiative Enugu chapter. During one of the small group sessions, someone spoke randomly about the impact of climate change on air quality and got interested and read up on it. Since then, I have engaged my work directly in this space.

I stood up for what I believed in and it made me stand out.

During my 28 months at Western Illinois University, studying for my Master of Public Health degree, everyone who knew me could say what I stood for; some had even sent me countless opportunities related to my work. I earned funny nicknames like "climate baddie", "world changer", etc. I made it to my school news twice. I also led a group that won an award for my school and put our names on the map.

I organized 13 programs and projects, collaborated with diverse organizations in Illinois, represented my school among the 8,000 public health student groups in the US, and earned a Ph.D.-level fellowship that gave me a generous travel grant. Once people heard anything related to climate change or the environment, they remembered me because my voice was the strongest and my impact was the widest.

Standing out is not the same as being popular

I was known for what I believed in and I earned access to mind-blowing opportunities. My life changed because I found my passion and won't stop putting myself out there. When people know who you are, they can make connections that will make your life easier.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. - Matthew 5 14-16

How to stand-out

• Find your passion and voice, your unique space.
• Learn about your passion.
• Train yourself to communicate effectively, either by writing or speaking (I use LinkedIn for Learning for this).
• Connect with the industry leaders. LinkedIn has made this easier than ever.
• Live your passion; let it be part of you.
• Most importantly, never skip an opportunity to talk about what you do.

Bringing it home

I summoned the courage to reply to my daughter and explained the importance of making one's voice heard. I told her "You should not be part of the population, but one of the population and you can't be quiet to achieve that, if you are confused ask questions but either way, let your voice be heard".

And as for you, dear reader, starting can be daunting, but it gets easier with constant learning and determination. As you continue learning about your passion and work, your voice becomes even stronger, and just like an infant learning its first words, you won't stop blabbing about it.

Best,

Dammy