FROM THE UNITED NATIONS TO THE FRONTLINES OF CHILD LABOUR

 

Over several days, I had the privilege of participating in the International Leadership Program 2026, held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. The programme, organised by Voice For Rights International (VFRI) in partnership with the United Nations regional office in Bangkok, brought together leaders, professionals and community builders from different countries to discuss leadership, peacebuilding, sustainable development and practical solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. 

 

Although we represented different professions, cultures and experiences, there was one common belief that united everyone in the room. Leadership should create positive change in the lives of people.

The conversations were thoughtful, practical and inspiring. We exchanged ideas, shared lessons from our respective countries and explored how collaboration could accelerate progress toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Throughout the programme, I found myself reflecting not only on the work CLEP Africa has accomplished over the years but also on the much greater responsibility that still lies ahead.

 

Towards the end of the programme, I was deeply honoured to receive the Global Peace Award Medal from VFRI. Standing on that stage, I wasn’t thinking about the medal. I was thinking about the children. I thought about every child whose education has been made possible through CLEP Africa, every volunteer who has sacrificed time to serve, every supporter who has believed in our vision and every community that has welcomed us into their lives. More than anything else, I realised that recognition is not a destination. It is a reminder that there is still much more work to be done.

 

Some balanced trays of snacks on their heads while others sold bottled water between moving vehicles with remarkable confidence. It was a scene I had witnessed throughout my childhood, but after spending several days discussing education, poverty and sustainable development at the United Nations Conference Centre, I looked at those children differently. 

 

Suddenly, the conversations from Bangkok had faces.

The Sustainable Development Goals were no longer presentation slides or discussion topics. They were standing beside busy roads, trying to earn a living instead of sitting in classrooms. At that moment, I was reminded that leadership only becomes meaningful when it improves the lives of real people. Conferences can inspire us and awards can encourage us, but neither changes a child’s future unless someone is willing to return home and act.

That is exactly why, instead of taking time to celebrate after the programme, I travelled into vulnerable communities in Lagos and Ibadan. I wanted to see the realities for myself once again, reconnect with the families we have been supporting and continue the work that has defined CLEP Africa from the very beginning. 

 

Over time, many people become accustomed to those scenes because they are repeated every day. I never stopped noticing them. Those experiences shaped the way I understand education, poverty and inequality, and they continue to influence every decision we make at CLEP Africa today.

Although this outreach started in Nigeria, our vision has always extended beyond one country. Across Africa, millions of children continue to face similar barriers to education because of poverty, disability, conflict, family instability and social exclusion. At CLEP Africa, we believe every child, regardless of where they are born or the circumstances they face, deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.

 

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“Leadership should not end with certificates. It should lead us back to the communities that inspired the work in the first place.”

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When Personal Experience Became Academic Research

The experiences I had growing up eventually became more than childhood memories. They became questions I wanted to understand more deeply.

During my Master’s degree in Project Management at the University of Salford, United Kingdom, I dedicated my dissertation to a subject that had been on my heart for many years:

 

“Barriers to Effective Project Implementation in the Field of Humanitarian Child Education and Poverty Interventions: An Examination of UNICEF Practices.”

 

While conducting that research, I kept returning to one important question. Why do some humanitarian projects create lasting change while others struggle to reach the children who need them most?

Studying international development taught me that solving complex social problems requires much more than good intentions. Sustainable interventions are built on trust, strong partnerships, community participation and consistent implementation. It is one thing to design a project from an office, but it is something entirely different to sit with families, listen to their stories and build solutions together. That philosophy continues to guide the way CLEP Africa approaches every community, every child and every intervention.

 

 

Our VisionEvery Child Deserves the Chance to Learn, Grow & Thrive