“Language Translation is not enough to Localize the SDGs, we need to go out and beyond”- Deborah Adewale

By Rianat Wahab

“Language translation is not the only means to localize the message of the goals, we need to consistently showcase it in our daily activities.”- Deborah Adewale

Deborah Adewale is a young, energetic, excellence – driven SDGs advocate who constantly aims at positive and innovative results.  She currently serves as the State Coordinator for Young Africa Leaders Initiative, YALI Ogun State hub; a network for professionals across public policy, civic engagement and entrepreneurship. Through her quest to help others develop themselves, she has helped train over 2500 youths ranging from youths in business, religious institutions, and corporate organizations including students in secondary school and tertiary institution on Digital Skills through Grow with Google program and Online safety by Google all over Ogun State.

She is the Team Lead and Convener of Before and Beyond 20; A Mentorship and networking platform for young people. 1st runner up of 3 mins elevator pitch of Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, Youth Empowered program in Abeokuta, 2020 Kectil Colleague and an Overseas Ambassador for The Intelligent Indian TII abroad. Her work has been featured on Sweet FM 107.1, Cowrie FM, FUNNAB Radio, Paramount FM 94.5, OGTV and more.

Outside all these, she contributes to diverse brands to formulate the Corporate Social Responsibility Project (CSR) and developed their online presence.

HOW ARE YOU LOCALIZING THE SDGS IN NIGERIA?

Through Goal 17 which is about partnership, formulating SDGs projects and partnership with brands, institution. Localizing the SDGs to best suit the needs of every community should be a priority and not just a dream. Through our engagement with young minds, we help them understand that language translation is not the only means to localize the message of the goals but rather in our engagement of us achieving the goals. Having it as a reality showcasing in our daily activities.

PLEASE TELL US MORE THE MAIN PROJECT YOU ARE WORKING ON

At ‘Before and Beyond 20’, we are currently working on a concept we call Project FaceIT.

Project FaceIT is designed for young adults between the ages of 14-25 to help them to become more self-aware connecting them to opportunities and sessions that challenge them to have to think in-depth about their nature as different individuals, exposing them to soft and life skills, alongside an all-round session on personal hygiene and digital skills.

Most adolescents do withdraw from taking up responsibilities and challenging themselves because they either lack the right motivation, do not have the right association, skill-set or knowledge to show up to their present realities. Individuals in this age range face a lot of change in their body system(puberty and mental) and most times don’t have who to guide them through. This mostly in turns increase teenage pregnancy and produces unemployable youths because they keep focusing on their wants and not their needs.

PLEASE SHARE SOME OF THE IMPACT STORIES

Before and Beyond 20 started on March 5, 2020. We’ve been able to reach out and follow up with 35 individuals helping them to learn, unlearn and relearn and connect productively during the Covid19 lockdown.

I started this initiative having discovered that youths in Nigeria are beginning to lose focus on long lasting values and skills that have the potency of building a strong and good culture of development. We were able to get partnerships to help us to give more exposure among which is an art community and also looking forwards to get support to help get sanitary pads for females in low-income communities to help them learn how to Make reusable pads overtime to replace tissues.

HOW IS THE PROJECT ENSURING THAT NIGERIA ACHIEVES THE SDGS BY 2030?

The total wholeness and health of any individual are as important as how he or she can manifest or even impact others. This project is to ensure that we have young minds who are self-aware and ready to take on challenges and issues that affect humanity and work towards nation building that would benefit all. With this, we would be able to help groom these young minds on how they can be better in their personal lives and how they impact their community.

Knowing fully well that individuals’ interest vary, whatever goal any of them would like to be challenged on, we believe that with the right skill set, encouragement, education and channel, they would not just contribute to the society but also be fulfilled while at it, which will, in turn, give us a more balanced society.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OR CONSTRAINTS AFFECTING THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT AND WHAT ARE THE SUPPORT YOU NEED?

The readiness of institutions to allow such programmes. Financial capabilities, resources, materials and availability of well-grounded facilitators. However, the project can last one month and be replicated in a different institution , accessing the dynamics of such demography was also a challenge. Partnership and collaboration in diverse spheres are neeed to achieve this.

YOUR ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE

My advice for young people is to always make a deliberate decision, Intentional actions and to keep the right association all the time.

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To connect with Deborah, you can find links to all her works here