MY HEART BEATS FOR THE DOWN-TRODDEN - UFUOMA EMERHOR

MY HEART BEATS FOR THE DOWN-TRODDEN

- UFUOMA EMERHOR

Ufuoma Emerhor is a different breed of the human specie.  As the first daughter of Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, OON, Chairman of Standard Alliance Assurance she is a silver spoon kid by birth. Schooled at the best schools in Nigeria and England. In her hand bag lies a First Class Certificate in Social Works which she obtained from Manchester Metropolitan University in England. All these brilliance, comfort and wealth she has locked up in the boot of life to drive on the rickety road of the less privileged. In this interview with Paschal O Obioha, she opens up on her pet project, Fair Life Africa Foundation and what life means to her. Enjoy the excerpt.

Let’s meet you

My name is Ufuoma Emerhor. I run Fair Life Africa Foundation; we support street kids by trying to give them a fairer life.

Take us through your growing up experience

My growing up experience, I lived in a village until I was six years old then we moved to Lagos, we stayed at Palm Groove, from there we moved to Anthony Village. We also stayed at Dolphin Estate in 1993 before I first went to England; I was 11 years at that time.  Licensed Victualler’s School was the school I and my sister attended there; it’s a boarding school in Berkshire. I came back to Nigeria in 1997, I went to Atlantic Hall to complete my Secondary education. I also went to Ivy College in Ikeja, I did one year A Level there. Then I went back to England, started a course in Computer Engineering, that was trying to do something that my Dad wanted not my wish even though I was alright at it. I got distracted by other things that I had passion for like working in the Ministry, taking care of the less privileged. I went into Social Works after trying my hands at some vocational works in England. I came in March 2010 to serve my country, NYSC. After which I started what I had always wanted to do, working with street kids. For the records, I studied Social Works at Manchester Metropolitan University; I came out with First Class, second division though. I majored in Children and Family.

Share the fun memory living under the roof of your parents as a child

I enjoyed all the travelling; I always enjoyed the road trips. The music especially those of Michael Bolton. I love the family time that we had, when we go away together and also the Sunday Breakfast we used to have together at home.

As an offspring of the Emerhor family, what will you say is the character your parents taught you that has shaped who you are today?

They taught me up to respectful, to be nurturing. They brought me up to value what I have

Now considering your silver spoon background, why did you throw away all the mouth watering jobs to run a Non Governmental Organization?

It is as valid as any other occupation in life; it’s always a question of motive, what you want in life. If you are driven by money, you definitely run away from this. If you are a criminal who wants to get involved in this to swindle people, you soon be found out. The reason I went into this is because I can’t stand injustice and inequality. I am also a natural advocate especially for issues like this. I always want to please God. I read in the Bible that real worship to God is helping the Orphans and Widows, I want to do that. I also considered being a Nun some time in my life. I just want to live a life that makes an impact. If we take care of our environment, if we take care of the needy, we will have the paradise that we seek. Money is only a tool and what it does is corrupt.

From parental angle, did you battle to convince your parents that you wanted to do this?

There was this fear of will I get their full support? They weren’t actually against or in support but what made it easier was the fact that they saw that it was in me. They thought about it and were like, this is where she is going, it could be worse. I had conversations with my dad on working with him or my mum; I had ideas of businesses to do on my own but nothing came out of them because they all died naturally

How did you start Fair Life Africa Foundation?

By the end of 2010, I wrote a proposal for Care Continuity Challenges Initiative which I shared with my Dad and he was like let’s do something with this, let’s set up a foundation so we started asking other people who run NGOs how to get registered, where are the children. We found out that they are at Kuramo Beach, we started visiting Kuramo in February, and also started doing programmes for the children every week. While we were doing that, we were also looking for where to situate the office then we found this ideal property. The more we searched, the more doors opened, besides time and money, we didn’t have any barriers. So far we have been learning on the job.

What is philosophy driving Fair Life Africa Foundation

Fair Life Africa, we empower people; we give them a fairer life because life is not fair. We can’t say we are giving them a fair life but we try to give them a fairer life by providing the basic needs in life, giving them more opportunities.   Trying to alleviate the vulnerable, strictly children.  We operate through social initiatives; Care Continuity Challenges is focused on street children. We are going to also establish other programmes that will focus on drug abuse, domestic violence, child trafficking and even issues like unemployment. House helps because they are also vulnerable. There are a lot of other potential areas we would diversify into but we are trying to stabilize and expand to other parts of Nigeria first. We are also hoping that other people would see that we are genuine, that we don’t seek anything for ourselves and be part of it.

Throw more light on the Care Continuity Challenge Initiative

It is a three stage holistic programme , going by the name, the first stage is care. This is the point of contacting the children, bringing them to our care centre, trying to know them and why they are on the street, getting them to open up so we can know how to help them . Providing for their basic needs.  Continuity is the point where we are concerned about their future, do they want to get back to their family, we  try to find family, get them talking again then try to minimize the risk of them running back to the streets again. The Challenge is that we won’t always find the family, the children might be Orphans or their parents might be highly abusive and even needs prosecution. When that happens, we have to put up a long term plan like long term accommodation to adulthood, get them to go to school or learn a trade that is if they agree to and also promise to behave in a way that will not damage our care system. We will do this until they become functional adults.

So far what are the challenges you have faced

Time and money and Nigerian mentality. Mentality like things can’t change, African time mentality.  The Police, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the Ministry of Youth Sports and Social Development, we have been trying to register since July last year, they have been telling us that they don’t have money to come and visit, they said we should come and pick them , when you go, they say you should come back. They make it so impossible to do your job. When you are trying to help correct something the government couldn’t fix. Another challenge is, people suspect you because of other people who used platforms like this in fraudulent ways. They might not want to support to your project; some prefer to support the bigger, well known organizations.

Recently you were given an Award by the International Women Society, how does it feel being recognized

It’s great, it feel good. It was an encouragement for the works that I have been doing through Fair Life Africa Foundation. The Award was also an encouragement to other young women out there to take up such responsibility. I feel privileged, recognized. I hope the recognition will make an impact in the support that we need.

What challenges has your background thrown to you so far?

One of them is that people think I am a bank account. People thinking that because I have a heart for the less privileged they can exploit that but they don’t know that it gets on my nerves and I can’t put up with it. People also treating me like what I am doing is a game, a part time job thereby not taking me seriously when to me it’s everything.