Interview With Ore Somolu

It is so GREAT to be back again after a long hiatus. I couldn’t update this website for long because I was involved in something tasking in the last couple of months. I will be sharing an article with you on what I went underground for and the tremendous result we are getting at a later date.

Today, I will be sharing an interview I had with a lady doing wonderful things in the area of empowering ladies to exploit the advantages that technology is offering us all. I met her sometime last year at a programme I attended and she came across as a visionary, a lady passionate about her vision and I made up my mind to know her. That decision didn’t materialise until the opportunity to interview her came up.

Our Role Model today is Miss Oreoluwa Somolu and I want to let you know that you are in for another GREAT moment.

Happy discovery

May we know you please?
I am Oreoluwa Somolu, executive director of the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC).

Can you briefly tell everyone reading this what W.TEC is all about
The Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre, W.TEC, is a Nigerian non-governmental organization working to encourage Nigerian girls and women to learn how to use technology as a means of empowering themselves socially and economically.

This is done through projects which build technology skills among women, as well as other technology literacy workshops. W.TEC will also research and publish works examining pivotal issues related to how African women use technology, barriers preventing or limiting technology use, and strategies for more efficient technology use.

We will like to know What growing up was like for you?
It was fun. I was the first child of three, so I had to be responsible and protective of my younger siblings. I liked to play a lot and read. I was a voracious reader and would read anything that came my way. I was also very imaginative and wrote stories.

At what age did you start reading and what type of stories were you writing then?
I cannot remember a time when I could not read. Probably I started around 3 or 4. I started reading as a hobby from about the age of 7 years when my parents signed my brother and I to a local library and we had to borrow (and finish reading) 2 books every two weeks.

I loved reading and writing stories about people my age; it didn’t matter the genre. So my ‘works’ cut across adventure, mystery, drama and romance.

Are you married?
No, single.

Alrighty! Well, we will like to know the day that changed your life.
It’s hard to single just one day.

Just give us one out of the lot
Maybe the day I won a consolation prize in an essay competition I had entered. I was about 10 at the time and had not seriously given much thought to my chances of winning. However, even though I didn’t place in 1st to 3rd positions, the fact that my essay was selected for an honourable mention made me realise that I possibly had aptitudes that I did not celebrate and was not using. It was the start of a gradual realisation that often we downplay our abilities and instead we should acknowledge them and build on them more.

Now let’s talk about what you are doing at the moment. The journey so far. How did you get started and how has it been all the way?
I have been inspired to work with young women for many years now, especially since graduate school. Since then, I consciously sought work and volunteer opportunities related to women, girls and information technology. In 2006, I partnered with a blogger I met online to start a technology mentoring programme. That went quite well and gave me the confidence to start W.TEC.

You and I know the importance of dreams, can you tell us What role(s) have they played in your life?
Dreams are very important to me. They allow us to visualise the type of world that we would want to live in. This is a very important first step in creating this world, because they give a vision to work towards.

Interesting. Since you have been following your dreams, do you have any regret?
None.

What are the most important lesson(s) you have learnt in life?
Our purpose on earth is to serve God. We should take our plans and requests to Him and if we get a go-ahead from Him, we should be bold in pursuing these dreams. Although the fear of failure is very real and daunting, it pales in comparison to never knowing what you might have achieved if you had tried.

I am sure someone is taking note of that. If you need to read that again, PLEASE DO! Now let us talk about Role Models or Mentors, do you have any?
My mother, although there are many women who serve as inspiration in one or more aspects of their lives.

We talked about books earlier, can you tell us the roles they have played in your life?
I love to read and I have gained knowledge, encouragement and inspiration from them.

Any Recommended reading(s)?
The Bible is a rich manual for how we should live. I’m really just discovering it in a way I never have. These others have influenced me deeply: Ain’t I a Woman by Bell Hooks; So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba; and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

We are about rounding up Ma’am. Tell us, What would you have been doing if you are not doing what you are doing now?
Running a bookshop, writing books, doing a PhD or working as a travel writer.

Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years from now?
I would like W.TEC to be well-established with a well-defined programme and a fairly strong network of alumni. I may or may not be running it full-time. If I’m not involved in the day-to-day running, I’ll still be on the board and be very much involved in empowering women and girls. I’d like to have a family, travel a lot, read more books and do more of the things that I enjoy and am passionate about.

Great! Now on a lighter note, how do you catch fun in spite of your schedules?
I read, watch films sometimes and I like to visit new places.

In your own opinion, how can Nigeria be great again?
For a start, we need to be more altruistic. A lot of problems are due to the selfish nature and actions of Nigeria. For instance, corruption is very selfish because it’s all about the perceived benefits for the individual with little regard for its impact on the society as a whole.

That is wonderful advice for us all. What advice do you have for our readers?
Give a lot of thought to the type of life you would like to have and pursue it fearlessly. Find people who can share advice and otherwise support you.

Thanks So Much Ore For The Wonderful Time Spent With Us

Now is the time to pick up the challenge dear reader. You too can do something worthwhile and be celebrated

Comments PLEASE!

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Filed under: Interviews • Motivationals • Naija Models • Positive Attitude

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