30 Young Leaders Trained in the Book O’clock-ACS Changemakers Bootcamp
On the 16th and 17th December 2022, 30 selected young leaders in Sokoto were trained by various industries’ players in a two-day hybrid boot camp. The boot camp tagged Sokoto Changemakers Bootcamp was organised by Book O’clock in collaboration with American Space Sokoto.
The Sokoto Changemakers Bootcamp was aimed at raising more young culture, social and civic engagers in Sokoto.
“Our society is in dire need of more champions of culture, social and civic activism/engagement, not just any sort of engagement but one that outlives the engager/their funds and continues to make impact. Especially in Sokoto where it has become a norm for brilliant initiatives to go defunct either as soon as their founders leave or lack funds. That isn’t ideal as that dampens the work being done.” The press release announcing the boot camp reads.
The boot camp featured training sessions on timely and important areas like “How to Start / Structuring”, “Funding and Sustainability”, “Navigating International Opportunities” and “Making Impact”, facilitated by authorities like Lola Shoneyin, Zainab Bala, Akintunde Babatunde and Yusuf Hassan.
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Day 1: 16th December 2022
Day 1 opened with a networking session moderated by Uchenna Emelife, the creative director of Book O’clock. He invited the participants to introduce themselves and what they do and afterward exchange contacts.
As soon as it was 4PM, the first session with Zainab Bala went live. Zainab Bala, a seasoned and award-winning journalist trained participants on how to start-off their initiatives and eventually structure them. She shared her story of how she started The Storytelling Initiative — a journalism innovative platform diversifying how stories are told, and afterward encouraged participants to brave and trust that their ideas are valid and pursue them the best way they can.
At 5PM, Lola Shoneyin, the curator of Ake Festival and founder of Book Buzz Foundation took over from Zainab Bala. She trained participants on sustainability and funding. Lola taught participants on how to sustain and fund nonprofit initiatives, that they outlive their initiators and operate independently. The session was a conversation between her and Uchenna Emelife.
With that, the first day ended and the audience applauded and appreciated the facilitators.
Day 2: 17th December 2022
The day like the previous day’s opened with yet another networking session. This time, moderated by Mr Aliyu, the state coordinator of American Space Sokoto. He enjoined participants to utilise the meeting as a way to expand their work reach.
Afterwards, at 4PM, Akitunde Babatunde’s session on navigating international opportunities went live. He shared his journey to the Mandela Washington Fellowship, to being a Chevening Scholar. He told participants to not let their failures deter them but should turn them to motivations to do the work. On navigating international opportunities, he said they needed to be focused, observant and deliberate about putting themselves out there, so when those opportunities come, there is a story to tell.
The final session of the boot camp was with Yusuf Hassan, a researcher and Pharmacist. He trained participants on how to make impact with their ideas. He shared various ways impact can be produced and sustained and afterward engaged the audience on ways he has managed to impact the society as well as himself using research.
After both sessions ended, photographs were taken, more contacts exchanged and participants thanked the organisers for the event. The boot camp drew to a close with a closing remark by Uchenna Emelife. He said that the conversation doesn’t end at the boot camp but should continue in the various work spaces the participants belong to. “It is our responsibility to make our society a better one and we cannot do that if we keep our hands folded. So keep the conversation going. It shouldn’t end here,” he said.
Here are more photos from the event:
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