The Leadership and Empathy (Lead-Em) Ambassadors, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) on Sunday organised an Entrepreneurship Expo to commemorate the International youth day .
The Entrepreneurship Expo which was jointly organized by Fresh & Young Brains Development Initiative (FBIN), Alexijan Consults and LeeaGlobal Resources was hosted by St Kevin Pastoral Area.
The Priest-in-Charge of St Kevin – Rev. Fr. Innocent Kachalla in his opening remarks, commended the efforts of the initiators, and congratulated the Ambassadors for their creativity and commitment to learn and be useful to themselves and the society.
He assured the youth that God who gave them these talents will always enable them to apply it to the glory of His name.”
“I believe that God equipped the initiators in a special way to use their intellectual property and abilities to mentor young people towards greatness as well as deepen the connection between them, God our Creator and other humans. ‘Real Authors do not write on paper and ink.
They write on people. And those who meet them write volumes, what you do to yourself dies with you, but what you do to others live forever’.
As I journey in life. I have met people who left ocean of impression on me. But the Lead-Em Ambassadors Initiative seems to be greater than ever.
Their intellectual grooming has reshaped the lives of many people. In our society today, it is very easy for one to say that there is no Job.
The Lead-Em Ambassadors has however shown many people (mostly the youth and women) that they can create career paths from their talents, or leverage existing organizations and businesses through volunteerism, internships or effective job application.
Some people remain stagnant because they lack information they need in order to move forward. Most youth need ‘already made’ – that is ‘enjoyment without struggle’. Incidentally, this is not a good principle for greatness. “No crown without cry”
Also speaking at the event, Mr Leonard Okonkwo – MD/CEO of LeeaGlobal Resources thanked God for the grace and congratulated his wife for initiating the program for the benefit of youth and the church community.
He stated that he supported the Initiative because it helps to groom a new cadre of empathy leaders.
He thanked the Parish Priest and Church Council for their support for embracing the Initiative and urged them to keep supporting them to ensure that the Ambassadors are linked with experts in the areas of interest for more mentoring and career growth.
Barr. Nkiruka Stella Okonkwo – CEO/Founder, Fresh & Young Brains Development Initiative (FBIN)/Alexijan Consults thanked Almighty God for His Grace and Providence from the inception of the Initiative from November 2020 till date. She gave a background on the Initiative and expressed her excitement at the positive impact that it is making in the lives of the Ambassadors, their families and communities.
She thanked her husband for believing and supporting the Initiative which is her way of giving back to the society and promoting empathy leadership in the church and the society.
The 1st Vice Chairman of the Church Council – Mr Nnamdi Umeh expressed his gratitude to the initiators and stated that it is always the prayer of every parent to see their children doing well.
He urged the Ambassadors and the CYON of St Kevin and St Anthony to put into practice what they have learnt from the Initiators and the mentoring process.
Ms Natalia Dimejesi – Vice President of CYON, St Kevin said she is proud of the Ambassadors who are also members of the CYON.
Other speakers included Sir Emmanuel Oshiokhamele – Chairman of the Finance Council, Mr Evans Oriri – CMO President, and Mrs Chinyere Eze – CWO President.
They commended the organizers and prayed for the growth of the Initiative and the Ambassadors.
During the 7.30 and 9am Masses, Lead-Em ambassadors and the choir led the church in the singing of the ‘St Kevin Church Anthem’.
The Anthem was composed and performed by an Ambassador – Kelechi Uchendu, and edited by Mr Leonard and Barr. Nkiruka Okonkwo as a gift to the Church. With the approval of the Parish Priest, the Anthem has been adopted as the Church Anthem to be sang in every Sunday Mass.
The Entrepreneurship Expo featured Spoken Words, songs, short speeches, drama, comedy and cultural dance performances by the Ambassadors.
The guests also had the opportunity to visit the Marketplace to view and patronize the products and services displayed by the Ambassadors. Some of the talents displayed are #Live kitchen (Okra soup); Fashion displays; a compilation of poems; gospel musical CDs; DJ, Automobile, Electrical and Solar-powered services; pastries; Sacramentals; training manuals, pamphlets and books.
The Lead-Em Ambassadors Initiative gave birth and supported some of these initiatives.
With this, and as a Lead-Em Ambassador, I – Joel Nwazu makes bold to say that what we need in order for our families, communities and country to be a better place is “EMPATHY”.
