Inspiring Teens with my book of poetry on the SDGs entitled JUST BECAUSE WE ARE GROWNUPS

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One of my primary goals in life is to make impact. And I achieve this through various personal initiatives or unique collaborations with organizations that are involved in projects i am passionate about.

Just last month, on Saturday August 4, 2018, i engaged teens at my Summer of Expressions program, teaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with my new book, Just Because We are Grownups, a mini anthology in which i had lyricized all the 17 goals.

The 2018 edition of Summer of Expressions was done in collaboration with the Abuja Literary Society Teen Talk Platform, SustyVibes and Transcorp Hilton Abuja. Transcorp Hilton provided Hall Sponsorship.

Now, having curated the event to spread inclusiveness as regards conversations and actions around the United Nations 2030 Agenda aimed at transforming our world, 32 gained from it.

I started with a little story about myself as a development poet and author.

Then i asked, “What makes you a grownup?”

‘Taking responsibility”, the teenagers agreed. And in acknowledging their responses, i charged them to reveal the things they’d want to change about the world we live in.

19 year old Kufreabasi Eucharistica Offiong wished for adequate food security and Mazeedah, another teen proposed advanced but harmless technology.

Their concerns echoed the United Nations 17 global goals which aim at addressing poverty, hunger, inequality, waste and climate change among other targets, so i called on Anietie Obot and Tolu, team heads from Sustyvibes, a social enterprise making sustainability actionable for young people to explain each of the SDGs using cards with their respective logos.

Then we had a ‘pick a goal’ fun activity where the teens were asked to pick one social problem they’d like to solve and write about it.

A brief poetry workshop followed with me reading excerpts from my book. Here’s one from a poem expressing SDGs 5(Gender Equality):

The _right to school

The right to dream

The right to express an inner gift

Should be equal for girls and boys

Fascinating, right? Well, the teenagers were inspired to express their own thoughts. And the event culminated in a presentation where each teen took to stage to perform.

I am glad that the SDGs can be communicated through poetry. I started Summer of Expressions with Brainbox since 2015 and my aim is to put young people in spaces where they can find their voices and the courage to speak up on both personal and social issues.

I have been coaching teens professionally for the past four years and now, teaching the SDGs is quite an honour. I have traveled to over 30 schools nationwide to talk about the subject, and with my new book, teachers in institutions far from my physical reach can spread knowledge of the goals to foster social consciousness as well as raise changemakers.

A visit to my Alma Mata, Therbow School, Zaria

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