Speak Up, Stand Out Program Mid-Year Review; 19 Youth-Led Projects, 3 Nigerian States, Many Impact Stories 2022

“There is no act too small, no act too bold. The history of social change is the history of millions of actions, small and large, coming together at critical points to create a power that governments cannot suppress.”

Howard Zinn

INTRODUCTION

The Speak Up, Stand Out project has existed for over six months, and we are thrilled about the significant accomplishment made. We are proud of our funders, supporters, and other contributors who made it possible. We are incredibly proud of the project’s stars, the SUSO activists. This small group of thoughtful and dedicated activists is transforming the world through their modest but astounding activities.

WHAT ABOUT THE SPEAK UP, STAND OUT PROGRAM IS DIFFERENT

The Nigeria Youth SDGs Network initiative, jointly implemented in a consortium with Afrika Youth Movement (AYM), and the Center for Youth Advocacy and Development - CEYAD, powered by Voice -Nigeria, aims to equip young community-based social change-makers and transformers with media, information literacy knowledge, and grassroots mobilization skills they need to engage in their communities’ socio-political development meaningfully and impact policies that affect the young people. Our influence extends beyond our activists and their advocates. We empower our activists to empower their advocates, who will inspire local inhabitants to take charge of the development of their communities. 

OUR ACTIVISTS

SUSO prides itself on twenty (20) selected activists during the start of the project. A resounding post was made on the selected activists. Monthly newsletters are released reflecting the progress of their various projects across Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu communities. Catch up on our newsletters here.

A GREAT DEAL OF WORK

It has been six months of community actions/community project activities on the SUSO project by activists and advocates. Yes! Six months old in June 2022 (halfway down the lifeline) is still counting. Of the many obstacles encountered since the project’s inception, the major players are still proud to boast significant victories. The Nigeria Youth SDGs Network hosted the Mid Year Results Harvest meeting highlighting five foremost activists doing exceptionally well to tell their reports to the funders, Voice NG.

The 1-hour session engaged representatives from Voice NG, team members implementing the projects (Joshua Alade of Nigeria Youth SDGs Network, Dough ONAH of Afrika Youth Movement, Ekene Ikwelle of Center for Youth Advocacy and Development), and activists of the SUSO Project. Adenike Bamigbade, the Project Coordinator, moderated the session alongside the Monitoring & Evaluation Officer of the Project, Imo Uchenna, to the five (5) spotlighted activists. They are already harvesting outcomes from their projects across the three (3) locations where the project is set.

The Monitoring & Evaluation Officer highlighted the results from the indicators of the three outcomes captured in the results chain design of the project. Notably, over 80% of the activists are found aligning to actions that generate confidence in leading social change projects in their communities, while all the activists are seen to be at different stages of building alliances, coalitions, and partnerships with private and government stakeholders in their communities. The spotlighted activists in the thematic areas and locations: Lauritta Boniface (Education, Abuja), Ene Mary Audu (Peace & Security, Abuja), Ruth Ogwuche (Education, Enugu), Arinze Okafor (Governance, Enugu) and Gift Chikere (Governance, Lagos), made their presentations. The activists presented their projects, the problems their project is addressing, and what they have done so far. The activists had media evidence of the fantastic things they are doing in communities through their projects. 

The event reflected on activists achievements of the activists and the great deal of work to be done between the time and the end of the project. Aside from the spotlighted activists, the progress of other activists speaks of the far-reaching impact of the SUSO Project. The social media handles of the project and the official project website reflect the activities carried out by the activists weekly. The Community of Practice (CoP) by and for the SUSO activists creates an environment of sustained learning and experience sharing. Most activists have provided feedback on the best strategy of the CoP. Amidst the success stories shared by the activists, all of the SUSO activists share optimism for the harvest of their planned outcomes. This demands more work – at least until the end of the project. 

The Communications Lead for the Speak Up, Stand Out Program, Dough ONAH, in his remark, thanked the Nigeria Youth SDGs Network Executive Director, Joshua Alade, for his guidance and support through the implementation of the project while mentioning the Project Coordinator, Adenike Bamigbade and Program Officer, Ekene Ikwelle for their dedication and commitment to the SUSO Program. The loudest shoutout of the day went out to all 19 #SpeakUpStandOutNG activists working round the clock, seven days a week, to influence social change in their communities. 

BABY STEPS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The SUSO activists have grown from zero productivity from their projects to the current feat they all have achieved. Highlighted in the Mid-Year Results Harvest Meeting are touching photo evidence of what they have achieved and the outcome harvest they are making.

SPEAKING UP IS JUST THE BEGINNING

We must be able to speak up in this day and age to demand the things that are significant to us, our society, and our nation. In addition to speaking out, we ought also to be able to demonstrate our willingness to serve by acting. Speaking up is simply the first step, but we must at least do so to have a voice, stand out, and be heard.

Originally written by Imo Uchenna and Oluwafunmilayo Odusanwo for NGYouthSDGs and modified for publication on SUSO by Dough Onah