Gems On Earth Podcast Chinenye Olivia Oguadinma

Chukwuma Arohis a freelance writer, orator, and the Founder/CEO of X-comics. He was born and resides in Nigeria.  He is currently studying Civil Engineering at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria. Chukwuma started X-comics in December 2018 with the aim of providing visual and exciting Comic Textbooks for students in primary and middle schools in Nigeria.

These would set to reduce the poor reading culture and provide perfect learning material for dyslexics and struggling readers. This singular vision has earned him several recognitions like; 2019 Anzisha Prize Top 60 startups in Africa, Startup Nigeria top 10 startups in Southeast Nigeria alongside cash awards.

Chukwuma started his volunteering journey at the Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) Community.

Together with his team, he pitched his business solutions at the 2015 SAGE World Cup held in South Korea and emerged World Champions. The role they played in helping the educational and social sector through several community outreach projects earned them an Award of Excellence from the Ambassador of Nigeria in South Korea and a Presidential recognition. He joined the ENACTUS community in his university and is currently leading projects with the aim of helping out-of-school children gain basic education and life-long skills and also provide needed learning amenities to lacking schools.

Olatunji Ayodele Rebecca is a Social Entrepreneur, Deaf Advocate, and Sign Language Tutor. She is the founder of CODAH Enterprise where she works to promote the linguistic identity of the Deaf community and foster their inclusion in the society. She is also the CEO of Collaborating Hands, an offline and online platform for Sign language training and tutoring services. Rebecca is a CODA which means "Child Of The Deaf Adult". Both her parents are deaf along with her younger sister who became deaf due to an early complication and late detection. She grew up seeing the everyday struggle of a deaf person, the struggle to fit and measure up to their hearing counterparts, along with a high level of social stigma and exclusion. Rebecca's life work barrier has  been about changing this narrative and creating a better inclusive society where being deaf is no longer seen as a limitation and barrier no longer exist between the Deaf and the Hearing community.

Through her work at CODAH Enterprise, Rebecca has been able to train over 500 people on the basics of the Sign language, she started the "Deaf Women Breaking Barrier Series" which focuses on uplifting deaf women voices, inspire them to embrace their differences and see the many abilities in This-Ability. So far, this program has featured six amazing deaf women. She also started the CODAH COVID-19 Relief Program as an outreach to the deaf community I'm responding to the hardship caused by the Corona virus pandemic. The program has been able to provide food items to 21 women living with a disability, it is currently working on providing more food items and back to school materials to 25 deaf women and 25 deaf children. Raising awareness on sensitive social issues surrounding the Deaf community and advocating for their rights is also some of the work Rebecca does through her organization.

 Rebecca is an Alumni of the Knowles Educational And Charitable Trust For International Leadership (KECTIL) 2017, she emerged as the second-place winner of the Opportunity Desk Impact Challenge Award 2019, she is also one of the OD 30 under 30 Changemakers for 2020. 

Rebecca holds a National Diploma in Textile Technology from Yaba College of Technology, Yaba; and she is currently pursuing her Bachelor's Degree in Community and Public Health at the University Of The People, USA.

Sere Mgendi is a 16-year-old social entrepreneur from Kenya. Growing up, Sere always wanted to be an entrepreneur to the point she would sell her old toys in order to get new ones. Aside from this, she had a passion for giving back to the community and she would always accompany her mother in visiting children's homes and even volunteering at a nearby kindergarten during the holidays. Never did she realize that she could merge her two ambitions and passions to be one! That is, social entrepreneurship.

She is using her reserved but poised personality to be an advocate for change. The young changemaker hopes to use her project, Smiles, to ensure that clothing is no longer a basic need that is difficult to acquire but instead available to the less fortunate through having various collections of old and used textiles.

In this podcast episode,  Olivia Oguadinma shares her journey as a social entrepreneur and how she has built a level of global relevance.

  She also shares her journey to Watson Institute, Colorado where she talks about the application process and how she was able to raise funds to complete her tuition before the deadline.

She also recommends helpful tips and books that give real-life solutions to some of the struggles we all face like resistance, discipline, and stepping out of our comfort zone.

You can connect with her on her social media handles @olivia oguadinma.

Storytelling for applications: https://bit.ly/2VuXBAQ

This is to our fallen heroes/heroine.

To everyone that believed in the birth of a new Nigeria.

We will never forget you!

In this episode, Bilal Ahmad takes us on his journey as a social entrepreneur.
Bilal Ahmad is the founder of Everva. He is also a student at the International business school of Beijing foreign studies university in China. Bilal is a curios traveler with a passion for business analytics.
stay tuned.