After completing his Bronze Award in 2016, Gold Award participant Olapade Qudus has a desire to help other young people succeed by contributing to his community. Joining the Award has helped build his confidence, dedication and commitment.
This is his story:
“My Award journey started in the year 2015, when I was a student of Oshodi Senior High School, Lagos, Nigeria. The Award was presented to me as a way of challenging myself and opening my eyes to the community around me.
Prior to joining the Award, I had a lackadaisical attitude especially towards the needs and challenges of others but upon joining the Award, I set myself a personal goal of helping out an elderly woman who lived alone in my neighborhood with her blind child. I helped her out with house chores, laundry and ran errands for her. My Bronze Award helped me overcome apathy and prejudice and ever since then, it has become a part of me till date.
In 2016, I completed my Bronze Award and decided to jump straight to Gold. Whilst doing my Gold Award, I learnt that rather than waiting for what I can get from my society, I had to discover a way of impacting positively on my society. This I was able to achieve by offering free tutoring for pupils in primary schools, an activity which I still currently undertake in my free time.
The most memorable Award experience was my Gold Award Adventurous Journey and Gold Residential project. I remembered vividly during my practice adventurous journey in Akarakumo village in Badagry, Lagos, Nigeria where we camped for four days and three nights. My Gold Residential Project was at an orphanage home in Igando, Lagos, Nigeria where I had to live and sleep in the home with the children while volunteering in the day time at their primary school as a teaching assistant.
My Qualifying Adventurous Journey was at Owode Egba village in Ogun State, Nigeria where we hiked a distance of over 80km. It was a hectic experience as we were always on motion and had to cook and camp anywhere the need arose but this taught me to learn how to survive any situation I find myself.
Overall, the Award has impacted me positively and has been a life changing experience for me. It has also improved my relationship and communication skills, social skills and self-esteem. The Award has encouraged me to reach beyond myself and has also taught me that the true quality of life only exists in service to the greater community.
I can now confidently say I AM #WOLRD READY “
Qudus is currently an undergraduate at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Nigeria and also volunteers for the Award office in his free time..
Olapade Qudus
Gold Award Holder