Founder of Adorable Foundation International, Princess Ada Amam in this interview speaks about her burning desire to create awareness about drug abuse and sensitize youths about the inherent dangers. Excerpts:
Please tell us about yourself?
My name is Princess Ada Okeke Amam, a business woman, mother of four, with one beautiful Step Daughter, and the Founder of Adorable Foundation International.
Tell us about Adorable Foundation International?
Adorable Foundation is God’s Foundation and a foundation through which charitable like-minds contribute their best to the society. Adorable Foundation International (AFI) was born out of Adorable Social Club of Nigeria (ASCON), before being incorporated as a None-Governmental Organization (NGO), with the corporate affairs commission, and then subsequently launched at Nicon, Abuja, on the 15th of October, 2015.
Can you tell us a little about AFI’s planned programme to mark the World drug day on the 26th of this month?
The commemoration of the World Drug Day every June 26th is one of the Annual events of AFI. We keyed into the United Nation’s charter on drug abuse, and for years now we have been visiting secondary and tertiary institutions in the country, as well as reaching out to our youths in the nooks and crannies of the country, creating awareness and organizing sensitization programmes for them on drug abuse. I must appreciate the NDLEA Lagos Command. They have been so wonderful in assisting us in our sensitization campaigns and outreach to the youths on drug abuse. Just as the saying goes; “Build the Youth, Build the Nation”. As an organization that is posed to fight this menace of Drug Abuse in our Society, its our utmost interest to build a nation of drug free youths, and as such we are committed to sensitization and enlighten campaigns against drug abuse. For this year’s own, we are taking a step further by nominating our Campus Ambassadors and Queen of ASACADA (A societal Awareness Campaign Against Drug Abuse), during the event on the 26th. The Ambassadors will continually engage their follow students and youths on this campaign in their various campuses, while we unveil other programmes and strategies to reach more youths in our society.
What are AFI’s Future Plans and Programmes?
In the area of youths, AFI will continue to fight the scourge of drug abuse by our youths in the country, while we continue to build a better society where peace, love and unity shall abound.
What Message do you have for the Youths and parents out there?
One thing we talk about always is hope, and one of the ills ravaging youths out there is depression. Mindset matters so much, whatever you call a problem, becomes a problem. If you allow the devil to manipulate your mind, he will manipulate it and put it in the direction you want. But when you fight some certain things and have faith in what you are doing, things will work out fine. My advice to the youths is; “Don’t allow anything that will go against your destiny”. To our parents and teachers, “Remember what the bible said; do not anger your child to a fault”. We as parents have seen a lot and have a lot of life experiences that our children (The Youths) don’t have. Our Slogan in the last UN meeting we had on this drug abuse amongst the youths was; “Listen first”. Create time to listen to your children. We parents a times push our children into what they don’t know. The teachers should be patient with these children. Talk to them. Some you don’t even know what they came out of their homes with, and when they come to school, as a teacher, you are meant to be not just a teacher but a counsellor, mother, father or whatever, as the case may be. This is a wake-up call to everybody. Nation building is for everybody, so leave a Legacy. Drug abuse is ravaging our society and thousands of our youths are getting hooked-up on drugs on daily basis. Let us all join hands together and fight this menace. I therefore call on each and every one of us, to come out on June 26th at M&M event centre, Abuja, let us all interact and fight this thing together.