The Journey So Far With Divine Kpe
Prince: You are Divine Kpe, where and when were you born?
Divine: I was born on the 11th of Sept. 1990 in Have Etoe in the Volta Region to the late Mr. Thaddeus Agrady (a stenographer) and the late Mrs. Grace Agrady (a trader).
Prince: Great! How old were you when you started school?
Divine: I started schooling at the age of 4.
Prince: And the schools are?
Divine: I had my primary education at Have R.C primary and my J.H.S also at Have. I later proceeded to Kpedze Senior High School for my secondary education. After completion, I went to St. Francis College of Education (FRANCO) for my DBE programme where I graduated in 2013.
Prince: Can you share with us, those amazing accomplishments in your schoolings?
Divine: During my primary education, I had been the Class Prefect from primary one (1) to primary five (5) and in primary six (6) became the school's Time Keeper. During my third yea of J.H.S, I was voted for the position of the Assistant School Prefect. At S.H.S in the second year, I was offered a scholarship to continue with my education. After my S.H.S result was out, I was one day called by the then headmaster that I had a free admission offer to offer Land Economy in KNUST. I was surprised since I never applied to that school though it was my dream to go there to pursue Economy. The offer was to students from what they term 'Less endowed Schools' like mine who excelled in their WASSCE. I was privileged to be given that offer but couldn't utilised the opportunity due to some challenges. Whiles at FRANCO, I was the Course Prefect and later the S.R.C Vice President for the 2011/2012 academic year. I was also a member of the Creative Writers and Debaters Club (CREWDEC). I filled campus news for the club. On many occasions, I represented my Hall for debate and quiz competitions. I was also the Public Relation Manager and later the Administrator for the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG Volta Sector) for the
2012/2013 and 2013/2014 academic year respectively. At various sittings of the Association, I served on different committees such as the Communiqué and Resolution Committee and the Evaluation Committee at both sector and national level. I graduated with second class upper honour and to say in order of merit the ninth person out of 227 students.
Prince:
Divine: I currently depend on my salary for that. Though I run my NGO as a social entrepreneur, I don't actually do that for financial gains since it is a nonprofit organisation. But let me hasten to add that am exploring another avenue in order to set my income generated business and very soon, I will be my own employer and even employing others.
Prince: How did you start?
Divine: It all started as a result of passion. Over the years I have the passion for youths' development. I am an avid reader and love to explore a lot. Whenever I read or heard about challenges facing the youths, I always have the instinct to help. This passion grew more when I was serving as the Youth Coordinator at Deeper Christian Life Ministry at Kpedze, Have and Hohoe all in different point in time.
With this, I got closer to them especially the junior youths
(teenagers) which made me learn more from them. Since, I have been thinking of ways to change the status quo of issues affecting them. On Wednesday 20th October, 2013 an idea came to start local. Local I mean to start with the youths from my hometown. On the 30th October, 2013 at 10: 45am, I got in touch with my mentor and coach, Mr. Bismark Tay, and told him I have a dream. “Wow a dream”, he asked, “Tell me. I love dreams especially when they are good dreams and I know yours is a big one” he remarked. After narrating my intentions to him, he asked me to put the idea on paper. Whiles doing that I tried to narrowed the year range to cover the junior youths (teenagers). The reason being that there are many youth organisations that focuses mainly on tertiary students only whom they consider mostly as youths neglecting the teenagers. So I decided to tackle the age group of 13- 19 years. After putting the idea on paper and developed it with the help of my mentor, I got it registered at the Register General's Department on the 16th December, 2013. Meanwhile we have our first meeting on 14th December,
2013 to establish the executive team. So that is how it started.
Prince: In starting at a very young age, what was your inspiration?
Divine: What inspired me were the multifarious challenges bedeviling our teenagers which are spreading their tentacles across the length and width of the country with its concomitant results such as serious national security ramification. And also the skyrocketed rate of teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, poor academical performances and issues of adolescent reproductive health.
Prince: After discovering this passion, what have being some of the strategies that you have being exploring to project you to this level?
Divine: As a motivational speaker, I have taken steps that will make this talent a refined one. Currently I'm into coaching contract with Mr. Bismark Tay, a trainer with the John C. Maxwell team. I also attended series of seminars to have more insight and needful to add that I'm currently undergoing a month course in public speaking. I have been on many platforms and on series of radio station just to inspire the youth.
Prince: How has the journey being so far?
Divine: I never expect it to be rosy. It is full of challenges.
However, I see them as breaking grounds to greater achievements.
Prince: Challenges are bound to be there, could you share some of your challenges with us?
Divine: Some of the challenges include; inadequate volunteers for us to reach wider number of the teenagers. Some people even find it difficult to accept this idea with the notion that I am into it for financial gain. But trust me, very, very far from that. I only want to change the status quo. But you know what? Just like Albert Einstein “I thank all the people who said NO to me. Because of them, I did it myself”. Getting sponsors and or partners at time is also very challenging. I will also mention the challenge of team members going alongside with you. You will at time see some withdrawing. And finally of course financial constrain. But all in all, these can't be obstacles to greater achievements.
Prince: What would you have lost if you hadn't chosen this path?
Divine: A lot. But most especially, life may not be worth living.
Because I think a purposeless life is not worth living. I thank God I discovered my passion.
Prince: Can you share with us your achievements so far?
Divine: Thanks. By God's grace, I have made impact in the life of over
2000 youths over the past 8 years in active youth leadership and by other means such as school to school talks, publication of articles and by radio talk programmes. I won't under estimate this means, the social media. I receive many testimonies from people about the impact I'm making in their lives through my posts. Trust me. And you are a friend on Facebook and can testify to that. I have through my voluntary works with other Foundations such as BARCAMP and Nneka Youth Foundation mentored lots of young ones. And the number is still counting. As the Volta Regional Coordinator for Hallowed Kids Foundation, I'm working hard for us to have the soon to come Children's Republic TV Reality Show and the Regional Youth Icons Award. In line with the objectives of OUR Foundation; TEEN AGE BUILD GH (TAB), together with my hard working team members, we have a successful launched of the Foundation. We carried out series of community sensitisation programmes on issues affecting teenagers. Held summits dubbed, 'Teenagers Empowerment Summit' (TES). Established our Teenage Girls Empowerment Club (TGEC) in some schools. We are in this month starting our Spelling Bee and Reading Competition in Ve, Have and Hohoe. The Foundation has also organised a successful BECE workshop for the 2014 BECE candidates within the Afadjato South District in the Volta Region. My team members were taken through series of team building workshops. As I speak some are undergoing public speaking course. A lot I will say.
Prince: What has being the impact of such achievements on young people?
Divine: Great, great impacts. Some have made wise decisions in various sectors of life. When I see some of them that I handled when serving as a youth coordinator in my church, doing good spiritually, I give glory to God. I will receive calls from known and unknown persons just for them to tell me how they have never gave up because of me. The academicals impact too is there. At College after our End of Semester Exam papers, I will just hear loud shout of my name, 'STONE!! STONE!!!
Thank you ooo, what I asked you to take me through before the exam came'. And I'm happy by that. I can recall a night with a fried. After that evening prep, I called him, got for ourselves some soft drinks, and sat him down as I offered him some pieces of advice. This was a guy with a 'chronic questionable character' as some described him. He cried through out our discussion that night. Thank God, a change finally came. I love him much. As I speak, this guy is having ground breaking ideas soon to see the light of day. I'm sure you will interview him also one day. He is just one out of many.
Prince: On this journey, what is the biggest failure you've encountered?
Divine: Failure? Not really but I will say I wish I had had sound financial knowledge earlier. However, thanks to Robert Kiyosaki's book, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. It was an eye opener.
Prince: Identifying the social cause you are passionate about, do you believe Africa can be rebuilt in that perspective?
Divine: Sure!! Very sure. “He alone, who owns the youths, gains the future” said by Adolf Hitler. Africa is never poor but just that it is poorly managed. Mr. Nelson Mandela warned; “The quality of change in our society will greatly depend upon the quality of leadership that is exercised”. We have many things to smile over but we need the right people to take over and they are the youths, but not just any youth.
Mr. Nelson Mandela again said; “As future leaders there are certain responsibilities which we expect you to observe. One of these is utmost discipline. If you are not disciplined, you can never win our confidence”. I'm sure the dream I'm so passionate about is a refined one to produce these disciplined young ones for the future. Remember “We must not only build the future for the youths but also build them for the future”. This is the only surest hope for Africa. I'm sure with this mindset, we can nurture responsible youths to take over the mantle. I believe in Africa. With the kind of youths that are emerging in Africa, I have a dream that we will one day be the shining star of the world if Jesus tarries. Just that time won't permit me to mention some of these youths that are poised to make Africa a better place.
Prince: what are your future planned contributions you intend to help rebuild Africa?
Divine: To quote Mr. Nelson Mandela; “I hope and vowed then that among the treasures that life might offer me, would be the opportunity to serve my people”. My plan to transform this continent is to offer what I have in terms of youths' development and my experiences in youth leadership over the years. Anyway that the opportunity is created, I'm ready to utilise it.
Prince: What are some of the things we would be seeing you do in the near future?
Divine: Trust me; I'm going to do a lot in youth development. I will host a radio/TV programmes that will focus on youths development. Run a consultancy service in teenagers' development. Launch my books that I'm currently working on. All in youths/teenagers empowerment and of course, take my public speaking to greater heights. Honestly, they are all achievable.
Prince: So many people avoid seeking for help, who would you call on to help you achieve your dreams?
Divine: I'm calling on all philanthropists and organisations that are interested in youths/teenagers development to come on board. Their helps are welcome in either cash or kind. People who will like to offer their services voluntary with us are highly appreciated. And surely, even providing the platforms for us to send our messages down just as you are doing. We will be grateful for any of these and many other ways.
Prince: Who are the people behind your greatness as mentors and role models?
Divine: I have Mr. Bismark Tay as my mentor and coach. He has helped brought this vision to this level. My role models are; the late Nelson Mandela, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, Pastor Mensah Otabil, Komla Dumor, Albet Ocran, Kwadjo Sarpong Nkrumah, Zig Ziglar and the philosopher; Aristotle.
Prince: If you should be ranked by Forbes/Time Magazine, what recognition will you prefer?
Divine: To be considered as a youth activist, a promising social entrepreneur, an emerging public speaker and MC, upcoming prolific writer and a hopeful evangelist.
Prince: Any Acknowledgements to some special people?
Divine: Sure, sure. To my team members at TEEN AGE BUILD GHANA, my mentor and coach Mr. Bismark Tay, family members, our sponsors and partners for the past months and of course Forbes/Time magazine especially you Prince. You are also a source of inspiration.
Prince: Your Final Words to young people out there?
Divine: Love and appreciate them all. The sky can't be the limit when there are footprints on the moon. We indeed have more rooms for improvement. To remind them about the quote of Mr. Nelson Mandela, “The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children”. They should keep the dream alive. Thanks for the opportunity.
Thank You
Akpah Prince