Joy Jones Abiodun is the International President of the Life Changers, a nonprofit organisation. She uses multiple platforms to communicate her ideas, inlcuding a TV show on NTA and a column in Blueprint and Leadership. In this interview with ENE OSANG, she regrets that many Nigerians hide under NGO activism to get money from people. She also expresses dissatisfaction with Nigerian politics, saying the terrain is too rough and scares women away
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Joy Jones Abiodun. I was born and brought up in Angwan Rimi, Kaduna, so Hausa is my primary language. I also schooled in Kaduna, and I am married with three kids. Apart from the charity work that we do, I do business both locally and internationally.
What is Life Changers?
Life Changers is a non-profit organisation. It started in 1994 in Kaduna when we were students actually and we had meetings at the National Library. We were the first group the library opened up to and we started doing developmental programmes, mentorship events. And the whole idea of Life Changers is just to encourage people. The two major things we like to talk about based on what we have seen especially growing up in the north where people were a bit more timid was purpose and destiny.
Life Changers now does its activities on a more meager platform. Now we are feeding the poor basically, we take care of the widows which is another segment because we discovered that some take widowhood as a profession. They go collecting things from wherever, things are shared for widows, but there are some who were really ready for change. So we began to support them by giving them a little finance for their business, and we have seen changes. One of my widows is even in London now.
Where do you get inspiration? You talk and look like Oprah Winfrey.
You are not the first person to say that. My inspiration comes from everyday life and I am fortunate to be somebody that thousands of people confide in and I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. I have been in a not so good situation myself, so I learn from pain, laughter, love and learn from everyday so I am inspired by life itself.
I was giving a talk recently and I told the people that if you show up for life everyday, by the end of life you will not say ‘look at what life did to me’ because that is the statement of losers, rather, you will say look at what I did to life when you take responsibility of it. I want people to be able to say to themselves ‘to life, it was good doing business with you’.
Where do you get funds to run the NGO?
That is the beauty, we are hands on, though we have seen abuse as some people ask us to teach them how to do NGO because they want to make money and I laugh. A lot of people have abused the idea of NGO because they feel that it’s a key to get money from people and that is not what an NGO should be.
If you collect money and say you want to use it for the poor and you use it for yourself, you have already cursed yourself as a poor person. The culture we develop at Life Changers is to give. So, me, my friends and our husbands, and family members who joined in the club were the ones giving. I did that deliberately, and by the grace of God, today all those who started Life Changers are all established. If people can give and get blessed, why can’t they give?
So you don’t face any challenges running the NGO?
There is nothing you do in this life that you will not face challenges. As a matter of fact that is the true test of whether you are called to that thing or not or a means to an end. As long as something is a dream and is important and will benefit somebody, you are going to have challenges or some sort of abuse in a form that they want to take advantage of you. But God has been so faithful to us that any time we want something we got assistance and now we even have partners. When you prove yourself genuine people will like to partner with you.
Why did you leave Nigeria with all you have got to offer the youths and women?
That is the misconception because I did not leave. When you are alive you are bound to progress and I am expanding so we take our local operations and we now run a global operation. So I didn’t leave because I come to Nigeria every now and so often so it is enhancing, I connect people and they get to know more about Nigeria and come to visit. I also get to know more about the culture over there and I am comparing the difference between developed countries and underdeveloped country. I am learning the economical, information systems; I am learning why some things are not good for us and what we need to learn. I gave a talk one time in Alabama and a lady recorded me on her phone and I didn’t know she works in a media house. She took it to the media house and the next thing they wanted a meeting with me and they said they have been looking for a real African lady that can do a show for them. I thought it was a joke until I saw the seriousness. So, I think I bring something to the table and if I am able to make a difference and put my head out among the international who is who it will also be a more inspiration to people who already look at me as a role model.
Do you have a TV show?
Honestly, we have been doing recordings because there are two tv shows that are about to begin but we are doing recordings though not based here in Nigeria, but I am on NTA every week where I do motivational talk.
Do you see any changes in girl child education in the north where you grew up?
Definitely, there are changes because there is that awareness that even the social media alone has given a lot of people privilege to access the internet.
The northern girl is very intelligent and they have so much dignity because they don’t show off but they have substance. Education is better now but freedom is restricted and things are a lot better now.
How do you manage work and family?
When I started having kids I made sure that my kids were independent from the beginning just like my dad made me independent, so there is no attachment. When we are together we spend more time, I have seen families who are together 365 days in a year but there is no fellowship amongst them. So we maximize the time we have that when you see my family and I you will think we are always together 24/7.
How do you spend your leisure time?
I love to get a massage because I am always on long flights or drive long distances. There was a time we went to Dubai for a programme and the women were shopping but I was getting a massage! So that is how I relax or, I take a walk in the park.
A lot of people see you as a role model. Who is your own role model?
I have quite a few. My father is my chief mentor even though he is late. He instilled all the discipline that I have today because he made me feel like I can take any mountain and be whoever I want to be. I always make reference to him because he left so much for me to follow, and my mother as well who is also late but am still the fruit of their labour so they are my main role models. Other people who have inspired me as well like Oprah Winfrey because you need to have a large heart because we women that do a lot of talking are opinionated which is something people don’t expect a woman to have but when you train yourself to use wisdom to express yourself which I see in Oprah. She does inspire me and so many others who have inspired me in different times and areas. But my chief mentors are my parents.
How would you advise Nigerian women?
I am passionate about Nigerian women and I always advise them not to allow their minds get rusted because a lot of women have been banned. Even if your husband is making all the money in this world, keep your mind active and productive because even if you don’t have anything to offer anybody at least your children should want to be like you.
As for the youths, we are the change and the change begins today, we are not the leaders of tomorrow because tomorrow never comes. Everybody has a sphere, you have a gang or group of people you talk to you are already a leader today.
Do you play any role in conflict resolution?
The Secretary to the Lagos state government had asked me one time if I can come and do conflict resolution among the youths and I accepted. We resolve conflicts everyday and I have even been given a peace ambassador award.
What role has your NGO played since the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted because many NGOs like yours have shown much interest in the issue?
Funny enough, we have a lot of Nigerians in Atlanta. When I went there for a programme, some of the women were concerned about the Chibok girls kidnap and I told them that I am solution-oriented. I don’t believe in magnifying the problem because people who do that send out wrong signals and incite violence and sometimes emotions get involved and people don’t use their minds anymore and don’t go by the fact.
So, I told them in Atlanta that it is good that we let the government know what we are doing by asking for our girls to be brought back but we also need to know that this is a security situation and government will not tell you everything they are doing. If they do the enemies will know their tactics and it will be foiled. We have to pray for grace and fortitude for those girls and also believe in our country. Like Americans can criticize their government but you will never see America join or support someone else to criticize their government.
So you are not in support of the protests?
The protests brought the national awareness, people have the right of expression but as I am now I don’t have the details of what government is doing concerning the issue but in my head I think the government is planning on how to take on the terrorists. We should not give up but keep praying for those girls and believe in our government because they are working towards rescuing the girls.
What would you say are the main challenges facing Nigerian youths?
I think I would say two things; my concern for youths is that when youths who are supposed to be leaders of tomorrow are exposed to the wrong thing it means that when they are given the opportunity they will repeat the same thing.
Secondly, our youth are more talk in the society because they are used by politicians who give them money. If they have the courage and strength to say we don’t want these anomalies anymore no matter the money politicians give to them they will reject it and express themselves at the polls.
Where do you see women in Nigerian politics especially as 2015 elections draw near?
The truth is, it is unfortunate that women are not where they are supposed to be in Nigerian politics. A lot of women have been intimidated, despised, and they are now scared because if you have to choose between your life and politics you will choose your life.
Our political system is a rough terrain that even some of the men cannot handle the situation. You have to be a lion and tiger to compete with these men because the politics is rough. There are a lot of women who will solve the problem of Nigeria but they are not given the chance. See how they wanted Dora Akunyili’s life and now they have killed her. If a woman is under that kind of pressure of stress, anxiety and always living in fear it produces disease because it releases some toxins in your body that forms cancer and growth in the body and that is why heartbreak can kill people.
That woman suffered a lot of pressure; they shot her headtie one time, threatened her life regularly even though she saved lives in Nigeria. I believe that any disease will thrive in a body that does not have peace.
How can women come out of this situation? What can be done?
It is only God that can change the situation and then with the right man at the top. I believe with the right leader not just the president but even the father who gives equal opportunities to all the children. I believe if programmes that will make women comfortable are rolled out, women will come out of their hiding because it was somebody who gave Dora, Kema Chikwe and other women the opportunity.
What are your final words for Nigerians?
We should believe in Nigeria, in all you do even when something is going wrong, say it by faith ‘God bless Nigeria’.
