It's not unusual to see people take career paths different from what they have studied. Many study courses they have no interest in just to please their parents. The rate at which this affects productivity can't be neglected. Nzube Akugaranwa, the CEO of Zubby's Foundation saw the need to offer career guidance to teenagers and to encourage youths to pursue their dreams against all odds. She's determined to reach out to teachers and parents as well, who she believes should offer encouragement and support to their students and children respectively in the pursuit of their dreams. In this exclusive interview, Ms. Akugaranwa talks about the challenges she's faced with, in running her foundation. She also mentioned the foundation's plans for 2016. Enjoy...
What is Zubby's Foundation about? : Zubby's
Foundation is formed as a result of having passion for the development and well
being of the youths. We were bothered about why the youths do not do so well
and why they shy away from certain
things. We decided to assist in exploring the talents in our youths. We decided
to offer guidance and counselling to the teenagers in secondary schools and
help them explore their talents through competitions knowing that competitions
bring out the best in people. Basically, what we do is to harness young
potentials.
What programmes have Zubby's Foundation
organised? : So far we have been moving to different secondary schools in Port
Harcourt where we started. We visited Bereton Nursery and Primary school and
Besona Nursery and Primary school, we also visited Holy Rosary Secondary
school. We held seminars. Some of the school gave us the opportunities to counsel
their students one on one after our seminars. From there we discovered that
these children have related problems as regards the courses they do in school,
why they do not do as well as their parents expect. We discovered that these
children mostly flow on what their parents decided for them and not what they
want. We found a lot of talented children who do not explore their talents
because their initiative are limited to what the society portrays as best.
How receptive has your programmes been? : On
the part of students, the students give warm receptions. They are happy to have
some one to talk to, someone that comes down to their level, to understand
their feelings not someone who already decides for them before asking for their
opinions. They are free and open minded. They love what we do. On the teachers part, most of the schools we visited responded positively. Most times, when
we leave, the Guidance Counselor takes up from where we stopped. We help them
understand these students. On the parents level, we haven't really gotten
access to the number of parents we want, but I believe that teachers and school
proprietors and management staff are parents also. The parents are the
fundamental, if we can get to the parents,
we can get to the kids. We are looking for the best strategy to get
to the parents and make them understand the need to allow their children do
what ever they want to do with their lives provided that it is legal.
What plans do you have to sustain your
programmes making sure that the impacts of it doesn't wear off? : I keep
contacts with the schools we have visited. Some of my team mates are in Port
Harcourt and they go to these schools from time to time to check out the
problems the students encountered after we left the school. We advise the
schools to keep records of each students' problems. So, when we get to the
school we address those issues they weren't able to address. We meet these
students individually and if they is need for a seminar, the school contacts
us.
What challenges do you face in running
Zubby's Foundation? : Time is one major challenge. The way I want to run my foundation isn't the way other people would run it. Most times, I do not bother my
team mates with certain issues. I have the passion, and the way I pursue my
passion isn't the way others would. Sometimes, I tell them to do things in a
particular way and I don't get the exact results I expect and because of
distance and my academic schedule, I may not be able to do things the way I
want to do it. We face financial challenges, hosting the seminars, videoing
them, getting things for the students, some times, the school management
complain of some of the things they need in their school, expecting us to
finance them.
How do you beat these challenges? : They
have been individual financial supports. There are some individuals we have
met, some of them are students who share the same vision but who are not in the
forefront leading this campaign. They make their donations. Some firms, like
Nigeria Navy Secondary School Ogbomosho, owned by mum have been very
supportive.
Talk about your leadership skills that help
you work with your team mates : I have one strategy for that. I do most of the
things I want to do by myself. This makes them realize that I do not solely
rely on them, making them know that I am not being bossy nor asking them to do
things that I can't do. I still report to them and I am very transparent when
it comes to leadership. I respect every one of them. Some of them are older
than I am, some are lecturers. I see myself as their servant and I usually
listen to hear from them. I listen to their opinions even when it counters my
own opinion. I don't force my opinions on them, because that would give an
impression that I want to do things on my own. It's not about being the boss,
it's about doing what one has passion for.
How do you manage the financial aspects of
the team? : What I tell them for now is to put aside every personal interest. I
tell them that they would come a time, when we would have partnership with the
government, partnership with a lot of companies like record labels, modelling
agencies, schools, money would start coming. By then, honestly, they would
appreciate being with me from the very beginning. But for now, I appreciate
them by giving them gifts anytime I can. I don't have to wait till I have
everything to appreciate them.
You mentioned partnership plans, which
organisations are you currently in talks with? : I have written lots of
proposals, but I have not received any positive response for now. The kind of firms I
want to partner with are studios for those who like photography, then modelling
agencies, institutions, learned persons, persons who are passionate about
academic pursuit. Let's look at Prof. Igwe, a lecturer in History and
International Studies Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. He is the
leader of UNIZIK Debate Club. I believe that with him by our side, we can
achieve a lot.
How supportive is your family and friends? :
My mom is my biggest support. She has been my inspiration, she is an
academician, she is very supportive and she understands what I do. You know
parents, some times, she would be like, 'you have been harnessing other
people's talent, has anyone harnessed yours?
You have talents also.' (laughs). Aside that, she is very supportive, my
siblings; my kid sister doesn't really know much about what I do, my elder
brother is very supportive, morally, ethically and financially.
What has being the CEO of Zubby's Foundation
gained you? : One thing that I have benefitted is satisfaction and self purpose
cos that's what the foundation is based upon, helping people actualize their
vision is my passion and my mission. I have earned respect. When people see you
on a normal day, they don't know what you are capable of, but, when they begin
to see your innovations, they begin to accord you some kind of respect and by
that you begin to affect the change you need.
How has being the CEO of Zubby's Foundation
affected your relationship and social life? : Actually, I'm usually very hot
tempered, but being in this position, I realized that my hot temper won't pay,
so it has helped me learn how to handle my anger issues. It has made me kinda
reserved and coconservative because I am now almost always thinking, thinking
of doing new things, thinking of new ideas, new reforms, thinking of ways to implement
my ideas. It has brought me to the point that I am now. It has helped me
morally. Right now, I see myself as a role model, people expect to see in me
what I advocate for in our youths and teenagers. They watch to see if I have
achieved what I want to other youths to achieve, and to see if I explore my
talent as I advice others to. It has helped me build in myself those things I
want to build in others.
What programmes do we expect from Zubby's
Foundation next year? : The first major programme would be a debate competition
at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Auditorium. We would involve as many people as
possible. We would introduce a new style of debate, that is the British
Parliamentary Style of Debate and this style is not known to UNIZIK students.
We would collaborate with UNIZIK Debate Club. The second major event would be
to organise a singing contest that will involve as many people in Anambra state
as possible. Before the programme, we must have gotten positive response from
the various record labels we have written to. The winners of this contest would
be signed to our partnering record label and we see to it the sponsorship of their
debut tracks. We would also have seminars in different secondary and primary
schools.
Where do you see Zubby's Foundation in the
next couple of years? : Let me narrow you, two years from now, Zubby's
Foundation would be in everyone's lips. I see Zubby's Foundation become a house
hold name. We are working towards having a platform through which we can be
reached online, in our offices, and branches, we would also be accessed one on
one. When we are able to accomplish our partnership deals, our outreach would
be easier and faster. Imagine, having the backing of ministries of education in
various states. In two years time, I see our youths rebranded, I see a lot of
talents harnessed by Zubby's Foundation.
Your words to our parents, teachers and
students about career guidance? : Our teachers and parents especially, have a
huge role to play based on their children's career. We want to use this forum
to advise parents to watch out for the things God himself planted in their children,
things they do not necessarily need to stress themselves to do, they excel in
these things naturally, they should encourage their children to do these things
that they are naturally good at. A lot of teachers are in the habit of
destroying the children because these children failed once or twice in a
particular thing which they may be gifted in. These failures may have been caused by the child having a psychological
challenge at the time or by any other factor, but the way teachers some times
respond to this situation can kill a dream. We recorded some of these
situations during our seminars. There are a lot of courses that can be studied
in the university. There are a lot of things one can do to make money if money
is the sole aim of going to the university. But, it's about self satisfaction,
which I suppose is the main reason for life. Parents and teachers should guide
our children properly. I want to encourage the students. There
are a lot of things they want to do, but the society and the parents keep
telling them that they can't. They just have to be determined, never giving up.
Students should learn to strive for the right things and to always discuss with
their mentors. With these we can produce youths that can compete
internationally with other youths.
You can reach zubby's Foundation via:
For me, the year
2015 started with a lot of dreams and ambitions. I can remember vividly at
12:01am when the shouts and jubilations of “happy new year” was everywhere, I felt
that feeling of a success time bomb running through my veins. I was so
optimistic that within the next 364 days that I would do something great. I was so
ambitious, head bent on starting my own company, an online company; a social media
network, "first of its kind" as I will tag it. 
