#IWASTHERE
Yetunde is now in the driving seat
Work skills training gave Yetunde a kick-start along the road to a career and her experience is inspiring others in Nigeria to go for it as well.
With all the qualifications in the world, it is often well-nigh impossible to get the job you want. The Work in Progress! alliance is giving talented young people like Yetunde the kick-start they need to get going. Then it’s up to them.
Skills for work
Yetunde Odusoga, 28, is a Human Resource (HR) Management graduate from Lagos State University in Nigeria, but struggled to get started in her career until she joined a career kick-start program powered by the Work in Progress! alliance. “I gained a lot of expertise,” she says. “The training continues to have great impact in my present work and I believe strongly that if I had not taken part, I would not be as effective as I am currently in presentations and communication.”
Poised for success
Yetunde’s ‘present work’ is as a talent acquisition specialist with Workforce group. This influential recruitment post means that she can now help candidates at different entry levels to get job opportunities in the Finance sector. But she didn’t go straight into such a job. “My first job experience was in 2016 at Poise Nigeria (an image consultancy company), following the career kick-start training,” she explains. She was one of two top candidates selected for an internship with the organization, and she clearly impressed as: “I was promoted to the position of the reporting and recruitment officer in that same year.”
On the path to a career
Yetunde joined the training program with the goal of learning more about ‘soft skills’ such as positive attitude, team playing and problem solving. It did not determine her career choice, rather it aided her career path, as it enhanced her whole being, enabling her to communicate with confidence and generally have improved interaction and influencing skills. However, the opportunity to be an intern with Poise Nigeria certainly helped to initiate her career.
Pushing on and on
Some of Yetunde’s tasks as Poise Nigeria’s reporting and recruitment officer were a challenge for a new employee. “I had to send reports on the progress of career kick-start alumni to Oxfam, and that was entirely new terrain for me.” But Yetunde has a passion to succeed and she was able to get through the challenge with the support of an adviser. “Even if a person supports you and teaches you how to do a thing, without passion on your part, it’s a ‘NO’,” she says. “I did not give up since HR is what I love doing. I kept pushing on until I was able to get through.”
Kick-starting others
Experience with the training program and at Poise brought a lot of rewards and Yetunde is driven to ensure that others have the same opportunity. Before she left Poise, she got the owner of her university hostel to send a list of recent graduates so that they could come for the career kick-start program as well. Even now, she continues to follow-up on this, and refers individuals she comes across to the program.
Keep trying because you never know
Yetunde’s advice to other young people is: “Always try to do things that are offered; don’t assume that everything is not for you. If you don’t try, at the end of the day, nothing would be for you.” As an example, she points out that she might not have gone for the career kick-start program herself as she assumed it was just another employability skill program, and then she would not have had the opportunity that has made all the difference to her life and career. “If you don’t try, you will never know,” she warns.
Yetunde‘s story is part of the multiyear campaign, kicked off on International Youth Day 2019 by the Empower Youth for Work program and the Work in Progress! alliance. The campaign aims to support the national influencing work of the respective programs by joining forces with local role models. The ripples of #Iwasthere are spreading out around the world and these stories are proof that change can happen anywhere – we hope they will inspire you, too, to become an active citizen.
Why these stories?
There are more young people today than ever before in the history of the world; 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 and 24 worldwide, and 90% of them live in low-income countries. . Harnessing the energy and strength of young women and men to become active citizens is core to Oxfam's goal of transformational change.
With their energy, skills and creativity, young people have the potential to be the driving force for social change, strong economies and vibrant democracies.
Oxfam is working jointly with youth to challenge barriers that prevent them from
Enjoying their rights
Participating fully in society
Being an effective voice in decision-making processes
How youthful dreams become reality.
These stories are proof that change can happen anywhere -
to inspire you to become an active citizen.
- Bangladesh
- Ethiopia
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Peru
- Somalia
- The Netherlands
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Dilah
“Development is more than just economy or infrastructure, it’s all about humans.”
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Pakeeza
“As activists, we have to be patient. Without patience we can’t do anything, we just struggle.”
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Jesse van Schaik
“I hope other people think ‘if she can do it, then I can do it, and then it won’t be that hard.’”
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Chioma Ukonu
“Youths must work every day to be the change they want to see.”
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Duressa
“The only thing that I cannot do, is child bearing and breast feeding. This is not naturally gifted to men!”
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Daphne Rozenburg
“My goal was to capture the essence of the vital advocacy work that goes on within powerful institutions. But in a light and approachable way.”
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Milagros
“We are young, we are prepared. We have many things to do.”
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Muzamil Ali
“The biggest challenge wasn’t informing them about modern farming techniques but persuading them to abandon outdated methods”
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Nasrin
“Work is never defined for men and women, it is us who creates this differentiation. There are lots of people in rural areas who are not getting enough medical support, I want to do something more for their advancement by engaging the youth of our community.”
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Shadia
“Fear is not part of my life. I conquer the fear itself.”
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Opeyemi Agbaje
“I did not have any computer knowledge prior to this time; I only used computers for watching movies!”
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Hibaaq Larry
“We should create an environment where people can support one another and raise local funds together to buy clothes and food for poor children and mothers.”
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Mr. Ajebo
“Work ethics and character are equally important as you cannot earn a living out of talent alone.”
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Alami
“I believe young women have the capacity to change their lives if they are provided with a safe environment and support from their family, community, and government.”
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Alisha Khan
“Once we overcame our initial hurdles, we felt confident about managing more events, and soon established a good reputation in the city.”
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Yetunde Odusoga
“Even if a person supports you and teaches you how to do a thing, without passion on your part, it’s a ‘NO’!”
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Abdinasir
“Without a book on my lap every day, I don’t know where I would have reached today. One day I will realize my dream of bringing all Sahil people into the library.”
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Habiba
Habiba believes that other women and girls will be inspired by seeing her at work.
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Milkesso
“Seeing my success, many people are now convinced it’s OK to assist women.”
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Salman Shahid
“We aim, one day, to scale up our start-up to a national level”
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Maynul
He started working from home to save money, providing computer support to the community, especially women.
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Mehvish Arifeen
“The beauty parlour industry is exploitative, and because women workers lack awareness about their rights, they pose little to no resistance to unfair work policies.”
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Hamze
“Poetry is art and expression, and has been in my blood since my childhood. If you want people to develop their country, young people are the starting point – they have the drive and stamina to pioneer changes”
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Sumi
To ensure the continued success of her business, she keeps up with the latest fashion trends online, adjusting them for the cultural and religious tastes of her clients.