Launching the founder Series !
I remember beginning the process of purchasing the name for the organization in December 2024. I woke up one morning feeling deeply dissatisfied with what I was seeing in Nigeria. When people ask why I started AmeIyoba, the honest answer is privilege.
Living outside Nigeria has given me the opportunity to experience the world from a completely different perspective. My parents have always been champions of education, sending my brother and me to some of the best schools in the country while we lived there. When we moved, I entered a very different educational environment, one where students were encouraged to shape their communities and influence campus life.
During high school, I began to see what student leadership could look like when students were given real opportunities to participate in shaping their communities. In Nigeria, PTA structures and broader politics often shaped how students experienced school. In Canada, I was introduced to the idea that students themselves could drive change. I became Grade 9 representative, later served as student voice in Grades 11 and 12, and founded two clubs focused on culture and community, now known as Goetz Black Voices. I also helped support several student mental health initiatives.
When I entered university, I told myself I was finally going to rest. That did not happen.
Instead, I continued taking on leadership roles that shaped how I understood community and advocacy. I served as conference director three times, became president of the Black Fashion Association, worked as a Social Issues Commissioner, and eventually served as Vice President of University Affairs for the Alma Mater Society at Queen’s University, the oldest student government in Canada.
Admittedly, as I was transitioning out of my student government role, I was feeling a bit lost. For the first time in years, I did not have a clear next position or structure guiding my work. Around the same time, I returned home to Nigeria and was confronted with something I could not ignore. I saw sprawling houses and expensive cars on one side of the street, while on the other side people were sleeping on the ground, children had no shoes, and babies had no diapers. The contrast was impossible to ignore.
I knew what I had experienced during that visit, but I was also scared. Starting something new comes with uncertainty. Sometimes we just need a push, and that transition became mine.
From April to December, I focused on building the foundations of AmeIyoba. In January, we held our first event. Now I am working to find funding and support so the work can grow. But to do that, I also need to build a community that believes in the vision.
That is where the Founder Series comes in.
The Founder Series is a space to share the journey behind AmeIyoba and help people understand the experiences, values, and moments that led to its creation.
While we continue working on our next steps and exploring opportunities for people to support and work alongside us, our next blog will share how we plan to engage with the Canadian community and expand our impact to support women and children here as well
