IJEOMA IDIKA-CHIMA
Ijeoma Idika-Chima (ijeomatgf) grew up in a broken home with rough experiences of child abuse and neglect. Born three weeks after her parents broke up in Owerri, Eastern Nigeria. When her father heard the news of her birth, he rejected her because she was a girl-child and showed no interest towards her education.
At different times, she lived with uncles, aunties and other people; these periods were filled with lots of child maltreatment during her primary and secondary school education. Educating the girl-child was seen as bad investment, so girls were not given equal opportunities at home or school. As a girl at age 10, Ijeoma’s life was already filled with horrifying experiences. Nonetheless, she was determined to further her education. She would sleep at 1a.m. and wake up at 4 a.m. to do domestic chores before going to school. This earned her constant tardiness at school; her classmates teased her because she lacked personal care. She barely had time to read and study her books or do her homework and was denied the joy and happiness many of her peers had during their childhood. She was often perceived as a hopeless child, without a future.
Ijeoma Idika-Chima (Ijeomatgf)
Ijeoma was constantly faced with an option of dropping out of school. However, after her Secondary (High School) education, she searched for part-time jobs, started petty trades in recharge cards, drinks, African fabrics to pay school fees as an undergraduate student studying to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in English Language at the University of Abuja, Nigeria. Also, an Oracle Database Administrator Associate & Professional, a Multiple Award-Winning Entrepreneur, a Global Public Speaker, Trained TV Host, Researcher, Writer, Facilitator, and Teacher. She is an Educator with over ten years’ experience as a Communication and Development Specialist with expertise in Program design and Implementation, Work Plan Development, Resource mobilization, Policy Advocacy, Capacity building, Strategic Planning, Grants management, Media Production and Broadcasting Journalism.
She is a Certified Child Protection Officer by Child Rights Brigade International (FCT Chapter); an INEC Youth Ambassador by the Independent National Electoral Commission; A World at School Global Youth Ambassador; a 2016 Queens Young Leader; a 2016 LEAP Africa Fellow; a UNSG-GCED Africa Advocate for Global Citizenship Education; a United States Institute of Peace Generation Change Global fellow; a Schusterman Alumnus; a Global Citizen Youth Advocate; an Alumnus of the University of Delaware, USA; an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society; a Member of National Youth Coalition for Education; 2016/2017 Elected Council Member, Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria (MWFAAN) Exco.
The U.S. Government recognized her as a Young African Leader (YALI) and 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow; She emerged the Africa Region Finalist of the Commonwealth Youth Awards 2015 and a Recipient of National Award of Excellence in Youth Civic Participation by President Mohammadu Buhari and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development during the 2015 International Youth Day in Nigeria. Her story was published in the Voices of Youth blog by UNICEF-Nigeria and also featured on i24News.tv Israel. As a Youth Development expert, she was part of the team that reviewed the Report on Situation of Youth in Africa published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. In 2016, She was recognized among the Junior Chambers International Top 10 Outstanding Young Persons in Nigeria; The Youth Champion for Citizenship and Leadership by the Citizenship and Leadership Training Institute of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports in 2018.
At Teenz Global, she directs the foundation’s media, community education, and development programs and projects. She is the Producer/Presenter, Teenz Global Show on AIT Abuja & EBBC Ebonyi State; and the Lead Instructor for the TGF Vidaxx Global Institute. Ijeoma’s passion is connecting underserved populations to community resources, which inspires her dynamic role in several human service engagements. She has two lovely daughters, Catherine and Vidalexis.