Matt in Africa

I visited Lawrence Alaba Afere and his organization in Nigeria - a network of organic farmers and rural entrepreneurs. Learning from the great work he is doing and seeing the faces of people whose lives has been changed, I was inspired and moved. In 2007, when Lawrence graduated from University, he shocked his family with the news that he was not going to use his business management degree to land a high-paying job in the big city. Instead, he wanted to become a social entrepreneur working with agriculture in his hometown Akure, a low-income community in southwest Nigeria. Working with farmers and rural people was not Lawrence's initial plan when he gained admission to study business at the University in 2003. Like many of his classmates, he was excited about getting a job within the banking or oil and gas sector. This all changed, on a Friday back in November 2006 when he read a report in the local newspaper. A life-changing moment he will never forget. The study revealed some shocking statistics about unemployment in Nigeria and the lack of opportunities young graduates are facing when finishing school. More alarming were the predicted effects this would have on society, as the consequences of unemployment would mean that Nigeria would raise over 20 million highly skilled criminals. Lawrence instantly thought to himself that something simply had to change. Instead of waiting around for change to happen, he decided to lead the way for a better future. As his parents and siblings had hoped for Lawrence to stay in the big city and pursue a corporate job that could help provide for the family as well, the decision to return home and pursue his dream wasn't easy. When telling his family about his decision, they thought to themselves that he had been bewitched since after all, who would willingly choose a hard labor career such as farming over a high-paying office job?. Despite the pressure, Lawrence felt strongly about returning to his home town and told his parents: ""Mum and dad, please understand I need to do something different with my life and follow my own path". And that is exactly what Lawrence did. Today he is the founder of Springboard, an organization that combines organic farming with entrepreneurial training to create jobs and promote sustainable agriculture. Lawrence Alaba Afere was that change. By combining organic farming and entrepreneurial training, he found a way to help create jobs for young Nigerians and rural people who were migrating to the cities in search of jobs. Today, Lawrence is a farmer and continues to provide support for young Nigerians and rural people to start their own organic farms and village enterprises. The initiative led him to be named a Mandela Washington fellow in 2014, where he visited the US and spent a few weeks meeting President Barack Obama and a number of global business leaders. In 2016 he also became an Ashoka fellow. This story book was inspired by Lawrence and his network of organic farmers and rural entrepreneurs. The book will help throw more light on everyday change agents and inspire children to follow their dreams and make a change in their communities. To find out more about Lawrence and his activities, please visit the Springboard website at www.springboardnig.com