See How Velveeta Viban is Promoting Inclusive Communities in Cameroon in Today’s Doing Life With…

Doing Life With… is a BellaNaija Features series that showcases how people live, work, travel, care for their families and… everything in between. We are documenting the lives of all people and ensuring everyone is well-represented at BN through storytelling.

Last week, we had a conversation with Kunmi Adenipebi. Did you miss it? Read it here.

Today, we’re doing life with Velveeta Viban, the founder of I’m Human Organisation, a woman-focused initiative that campaigns inclusive communities for everyone. Due to her delectable effort during the COVID-19, Velveeta was recognised by the United Nations Office of the Youth Envoy and was also selected into the Leap Africa social innovators which made her the first non-Nigerian to win the Outstanding Fellow Award grant from Union Bank Nigeria. Enjoy!

Hello Velveeta. How are you feeling right now?

Hello, BellaNaija. The political answer will be: thrilled, elated, and blessed. But my inner child wants to say I feel like I just won a chair dance competition and I’m getting rewarded for it.

Haha, love this for you! Give us a glimpse into your background  

I am a middle child from an all-girls home. My grandmother was a journalist who hosted one of the very first-ever national radio shows on women’s issues in the 80s called “Calling the Women”. My father was a proud girl dad. Despite losing him before 10, my mother has vehemently demonstrated that women can do all they set out to do, when and if they’re given the opportunity to. At age 4, I remember holding up a signpost that read “Children have rights” and even winning a competition for reciting the famous Martin Luther King Jr. speech. Might have been unknown to me at that time, but I believe my inner activist and the journey had already begun. It is no news that I have always been people-oriented and wanted to contribute towards people’s well-being (rights), so I ended up studying Law for my undergraduate and International Relations for my Master’s degree. All these have shaped my heightened sense of gender-driven initiatives and helping people.

Interesting. Can you share more about the inspiration behind starting “I’m Human Organisation” and your journey as a ‘Serial Volunteer’?

As a Cameroonian, English-speaking woman, life is a challenge. Being a young African female from the minority 20% English-speaking region of the country, I often wonder which is tougher – being born black and African or being born female? It’s a constant battle. I struggled with finding my identity, losing a parent at an early age, and being expected to play the male figure role in an all-girl home. One day, after going through a difficult patch and sitting in my small apartment, I realised I wanted to create a movement for people who wanted to be seen and treated as humans first and foremost. Starting as a personal movement, I used the word “I” to create a personal connection with everyone. Over time, it grew into an organisation of people who are passionate about helping others. My grandmother’s words “When you fold your arm/palm, nothing goes out but most importantly nothing can come in” taught me that givers never lack. I realised that even the little I thought I had could make a difference in someone else’s life. The smiles and blessings I received in return were enough to keep me going. And to add, I started volunteering way before I even knew what it meant. 

You were recognised by the United Nations Office of the Youth Envoy for the huge impact you made during the pandemic. How has this influenced the organisation’s visibility and impact?

The recognition came at a time when we had set out to provide about 4 mobile water units for a community that housed over 100+ internally displaced families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the children were out of school and unable to even afford remote/home teachers. We tried our best and ended up doing over 12 units as well as helping 150 children and orphans with remote learning books. Although we had so many pushbacks, the recognition just served as a reminder that I can achieve what I set my mind to and since then, we started getting recognised for the efforts we put in and this led to more partnerships for expansion. Not long after that, I got selected into the Leap Africa social innovators which led me to become the first non-Nigerian to win the Outstanding Fellow Award grant from Union Bank Nigeria.

What specific success story or impactful moment stands out to you from your work with “I’m Human Organisation”?

In 2020, on the International Day for the Elimination of all Forms of Violence in Conflict, we hosted a program called SHE, Safe Spaces for Healing and Empowerment, where we worked closely with survivors of abuse. One of the ladies who shared a very personal story on sexual abuse and how this affected her life and education was closely followed up by a mentor. Just a few weeks ago, she shared her successful journey with us when she graduated from a nursing institute and how her life would not have taken this bright turn if we hadn’t met her that day in 2020. She and many others who have participated in our business training and benefitted from startup capital grants now have thriving businesses to sustain their economic rehabilitation.

What would you say are the most persistent challenges faced by vulnerable groups in Cameroon and Africa? How do you think organisations like yours can address these challenges?

I would say the biggest challenge is our mediocre approach to dealing with most humanitarian challenges. Organisations like ours can only try our best to contribute towards solving some issues especially those around education, access to economic emancipation and overall closing the poverty gaps. However, we cannot create much progress if people keep thinking of helping others as just charity, but as actually addressing real societal needs. I think like every other continent, people are more connected to solving the needs of fellow humans like themselves and due to the other daily challenges living on the continent, it is very tasking to find long-term community-led solutions. Sometimes, people end up just doing the basic stuff that doesn’t propel vulnerable persons to better places. I think what we can do better and what I’m Human Organisation has been trying to channel and redirect aid, especially from local institutions to provide more sustainable support for these persons even if the funds are challenged.

You’re involved in a lot of projects. How do you balance your time and commitments What’s a typical day in your life like?

This is the part where I say “Na God o.” A typical day for me is waking up and playing some music to set me in the right mood. I grab my phone to see if I have any new emails or any congratulations but I often get “Thank you we’re sorry.” Depending on the agenda for the day, I head out to either a project venue site or workspace. During the day, I’m most likely laughing at memes and fun skits because hey, the country is already hectic so I need something to keep my positivity up. As for the night, it depends on when my brain allows me to rest.

Being involved in a lot of things can make time an illusion. What’s a pastime skill or hobby you’ve personally picked up that you enjoy? 

Writing helps me maximise my time and I am also a sucker for online comedy skits. I also love creating Canva designs or just generally designing things. It helps with my creative thinking and allows me to express myself in a very concentrated way. I wish I could say eating and sleeping, but those two have a love-hate relationship with me. 

Three fun facts about Cameroon everyone must know about?

The country is tough but the people are tougher. We have the best food in the world, argue with your birth certificate, haha. If you are reading this and haven’t visited Cameroon, you have just missed out on your chance to see Africa in Miniature.

If you could travel back in time to any historical event, which one would you choose and why?

It would be December 22, 2000, the day my father passed. I have things to tell him.

Top 3 things that bring you joy, get you excited, and/or make you proud of yourself?

Mobile credit money alert, haha. The sound of that jingle is a dopamine dose. Watching my nieces and nephews gets me super excited especially when I get a video call from them. However, what makes me proud of myself is the fact that I have had many chances to give up but I didn’t give up on myself and today guess what? I’m on BellaNaija. Oh my! I should pat myself on the back.

You should, you should! Thank you for being a part of Doing Life With, Velveeta

Thank you, BellaNaija, for having me.

 

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Many thanks to Velveeta for having this conversation with us and answering our questions so swiftly. Do you love this content, have any feedback for us, want to be a BellaNaija Features contributor or want to be featured on Doing Life With…? We’d love to hear from you. Shoot us an email: [email protected]

Join us on Saturday for the next episode!