STEEM POWDERED SKILL ACQUISITION FOR THE FATHERLESS

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measures — Marianne Williamson.

Have you ever asked yourself how powerful you can impact the world? Well, I used to ask myself same until I came to Steemit and discovered how much I can move the world. Just through the payout I got from two comments on @surfyogi's post, together with the payout of a previous one meal a day campaign post I made, we have been able to get a fatherless boy off the street to start a real skill acquisition training. That's how powerful we can be through Steemit.

The Story To This Point

About three weeks ago I made a post about stopping to share @damarth's one meal a day with some kids who beg on the street in Akwanga, Northern Nigeria. In the post, I mentioned the plans to get these kids off the street one child at a time. In a subsequent post by @joshuaetim, my friend and partner, he talked about Ishaq who we planned to support on a tailoring skill acquisition. Today's post is the first step on that project.

Aminu, @joshuaetim, Ishaq and myself at the tailoring shop.

Ishaq

Today is all about Ishaq. I was informed about Ishaq by the restaurant lady who operate the restaurant where I shared the meals with those kids three weeks ago. Ishaq is about 12 years old, lost his loving father some years back and due to the poor financial situation of the mother, had taken to begging on the street for survival. The father had enrolled him for a fashion design program a few months before he died but now Ishaq could not continue due to his current financial situation.

So last week we took him back to Aminu - his trainer to begin negotiations on getting him back on the tailoring training and steps to get him off the street.

The scope of the negotiations covers the following:

• We agree to support his training and pay for materials too which he will use for practice.

• His trainer will release him in the mornings to attend the free primary education by the state government to enable him gain formal education.

• From the little running around he will perform for his master, Aminu together with the restaurant lady, will compensate him by providing for his basic meals.

We agreed on the deal and he resumed his training a week ago. Due to the good report on his progress, today we gave his trainer money which he purchased some basic tailoring equipments and clothing materials so he can practice with them without fear of spoiling his masters equipment.

With Ishaq and his trainer, Aminu and some of the materials we got for his training.

Before we left, @joshuaetim had a little discussion with Ishaq to see how he is doing on his training. We made a video which you can watch below.

We will be checking his progress periodically and continue with supports till he can learn enough skills to stand on his feet. It has always been my desire to get people on their feet when they thought their bones could no longer support them. Just like @sircork put it with his #youarehope initiative.

Thank you @joshuaetim who has been a wonderful support as a partner. I will greatly miss him as he returns to the South today to handle projects in Akwa Ibom. Together, we'll change the world one step at a time.

@Damarth started this dream with the one meal a day campaign. From time to time I will still go out to share meals with those who really needs a meal. Thanks to @surfyogi who's support from the background is touching lives in Africa. Goldfish they say, has no hiding place. And to the rest of us Steemians who are still asking how powerful we are, remember:

As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others the permission to do same - Marianne Williamson.