WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.091 --> 00:00:03.475 Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of the Way UK podcast. 2 00:00:03.535 --> 00:00:07.319 I'm your host Zoe and I'm joined by my wonderful co-host Solomon. 3 00:00:07.479 --> 00:00:08.620 Yay, Solomon. 4 00:00:09.461 --> 00:00:14.807 And guys, today we have a very special episode because we are joined by a very special guest, Samuel. 5 00:00:15.407 --> 00:00:17.029 Thank you so much for coming on. 6 00:00:17.049 --> 00:00:17.910 Thank you. 7 00:00:18.670 --> 00:00:21.033 It's great meeting you, Solomon and Zoe. 8 00:00:21.173 --> 00:00:21.453 Yes. 9 00:00:22.274 --> 00:00:22.555 Yes. 10 00:00:22.655 --> 00:00:27.500 I can't wait to get into a bit of your story and just hear your testimony. 11 00:00:28.161 --> 00:00:30.284 And yeah, just all about you. 12 00:00:31.185 --> 00:00:37.152 So guys, this is a special episode because some of the team and I are going to Malawi in partnership with World Vision. 13 00:00:37.572 --> 00:00:46.860 World Vision is a charity that basically helps transform communities through providing sanitation, clean water, healthcare and education to places globally that need it. 14 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.963 So we're really excited to go and visit Malawi in a couple weeks time and just see the work that they're doing. 15 00:00:51.864 --> 00:00:57.609 And Samuel grew up in Ghana and was a beneficiary of World Vision's work. 16 00:00:57.949 --> 00:01:02.073 So, yeah, we're just going to get into his story and listen to what he has to say. 17 00:01:02.153 --> 00:01:02.293 Yeah. 18 00:01:02.693 --> 00:01:03.594 So roll the credits. 19 00:01:03.694 --> 00:01:04.535 We're very excited. 20 00:01:08.783 --> 00:01:24.888 But before we get into it, guys, please don't forget to like and subscribe and leave a comment if you're watching on YouTube or leave a rating or drop a follow if you're listening on Spotify or Apple podcast, because as you know, or may not know, our vision here at The Way is to share the good news of Jesus with every single young person online. 21 00:01:24.908 --> 00:01:27.729 And so you doing any of those things really helps us out with that. 22 00:01:28.149 --> 00:01:28.829 So thank you. 23 00:01:29.209 --> 00:01:30.469 Thank you so much in advance, guys. 24 00:01:30.949 --> 00:01:32.450 Let's hone in on our guest. 25 00:01:32.910 --> 00:01:33.551 Let's hone in. 26 00:01:33.811 --> 00:01:35.733 Samuel, thank you so much for coming today. 27 00:01:35.753 --> 00:01:37.095 Thank you, Zoe Solomon. 28 00:01:37.355 --> 00:01:38.236 Nice meeting you guys. 29 00:01:38.276 --> 00:01:39.137 Nice meeting you. 30 00:01:40.178 --> 00:01:45.323 I mean, we just love to start hearing a little bit about your upbringing, your backdrop. 31 00:01:45.844 --> 00:01:49.388 Where did you grow up and what was that experience like for you? 32 00:01:50.179 --> 00:01:50.479 Right. 33 00:01:50.699 --> 00:01:56.423 I'm really happy to meet you guys here and for us to talk about what really matters. 34 00:01:56.623 --> 00:01:57.824 It's about social justice. 35 00:01:58.164 --> 00:02:00.326 What we all can do to make society a better place. 36 00:02:01.246 --> 00:02:08.411 You know, in building society, it takes different people from different parts of the world to make it better. 37 00:02:08.671 --> 00:02:17.777 You may be far away in a different continent, but making an impact in some way in Malawi, like you're going to Malawi, Ghana, Australia. 38 00:02:18.157 --> 00:02:40.903 in a part of the world and something that we should always be grateful to people who have contributed in diverse ways um it hasn't been an easy journey for me at all growing up sometimes these are reflection that when you reflect it actually gives you that strength makes you feel fulfilled that at least you've moved on and you've been able to 39 00:02:41.783 --> 00:02:42.844 overcome and persevere. 40 00:02:42.864 --> 00:02:58.411 So in my case, my story is more like perseverance, breaking the odds, because I can imagine in the early 90s, when I was four or five, I can imagine getting to where I am because of the situation I found myself. 41 00:02:58.432 --> 00:02:58.912 Mm-hmm. 42 00:02:59.492 --> 00:03:06.019 I'm talking about living in a community by then, that was about less than 30,000 people in that community. 43 00:03:06.739 --> 00:03:17.630 There is no hope because people that you see that are older people, like your older brothers, like your cousins, everyone remains in that community. 44 00:03:17.650 --> 00:03:20.253 There's no trajectory of growth and growth. 45 00:03:20.393 --> 00:03:23.135 You feel like your life is going to also end like that. 46 00:03:23.255 --> 00:03:30.181 Even though you may have an ambition, but you're looking at the people that are ahead of you, you're not seeing the progress. 47 00:03:30.701 --> 00:03:37.446 Definitely, you don't have that positivism in you that I'm also going to make it one day. 48 00:03:37.506 --> 00:03:40.769 So imagine living in such a situation as a child 49 00:03:41.329 --> 00:03:50.917 the emotional trauma that you're going to go through, the psychology, the timidity and the fear it will put in you to think ahead, to think about the future. 50 00:03:51.757 --> 00:03:58.302 And that now boils down to the fact that it is a village that... 51 00:03:59.747 --> 00:04:00.887 things were really rough for us. 52 00:04:01.048 --> 00:04:07.530 And if I should ask you to define what poverty is, your definition of poverty will be different from me. 53 00:04:08.551 --> 00:04:11.412 Solomon's definition of poverty will be different from mine. 54 00:04:11.972 --> 00:04:16.834 Because the fact is that the world that you have grown, I'm not sure you've seen poverty. 55 00:04:17.494 --> 00:04:20.736 When we're talking about poverty, you have not seen poverty. 56 00:04:21.936 --> 00:04:23.017 You are really fortunate. 57 00:04:23.057 --> 00:04:23.897 You are privileged. 58 00:04:24.557 --> 00:04:25.278 In our case... 59 00:04:26.158 --> 00:04:29.599 We came, I personally came into contact with poverty. 60 00:04:30.139 --> 00:04:31.320 When we say poverty, you feel it. 61 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:37.682 You see that it's really poverty that getting food to eat, like two square meals a day to eat is even a blessing. 62 00:04:37.702 --> 00:04:38.322 It's a privilege. 63 00:04:38.362 --> 00:04:39.142 It's like a miracle. 64 00:04:39.162 --> 00:04:40.082 Like getting sundown to wear to school. 65 00:04:40.102 --> 00:04:40.442 It's a miracle. 66 00:04:40.462 --> 00:04:48.685 Like it's something that growing up in the nineties, you know, says that no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no 67 00:04:48.905 --> 00:04:54.049 It's only the privileged children that had access to footwear and you have to walk miles. 68 00:04:54.670 --> 00:04:58.593 Then you come and think about drinking water, no portable drinking water. 69 00:04:59.153 --> 00:05:04.577 Definitely you have to drink from not taps, but wells, dug ups. 70 00:05:04.998 --> 00:05:06.679 You've seen a dug out or well before. 71 00:05:06.739 --> 00:05:07.780 That's it. 72 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:11.342 So that's how growing up in my community was like. 73 00:05:11.362 --> 00:05:18.048 So aside the fact that your dreams die the very day you were born, 74 00:05:18.828 --> 00:05:23.750 because of the environment that you find yourself, your voice is silent. 75 00:05:24.410 --> 00:05:28.211 You don't have that strength to even think and dream ahead. 76 00:05:28.751 --> 00:05:39.155 Because psychologically, a child without a proper environment does not have that good emotions or that foresight to become someone better in future. 77 00:05:39.195 --> 00:05:39.455 So... 78 00:05:40.095 --> 00:05:41.535 It dampens your spirit already. 79 00:05:41.575 --> 00:05:52.517 So I'm just trying to explain the situation to you that growing up as a child, life was really, really a track off railway. 80 00:05:52.537 --> 00:05:57.438 You know, whenever the train passes on the rail track, you see how it shakes and all that. 81 00:05:57.858 --> 00:05:58.558 That's how it is. 82 00:05:58.578 --> 00:06:03.919 You're living in houses whereby when it is raining, you have to move to one corner of the house because there's a leakage. 83 00:06:04.860 --> 00:06:06.500 And you could feel like... 84 00:06:07.280 --> 00:06:08.762 Do I actually have a future? 85 00:06:09.222 --> 00:06:14.328 You are just hoping and praying that there's a miracle for you to move out and also dream. 86 00:06:14.468 --> 00:06:19.033 Because every child has that right to dream to become better. 87 00:06:19.193 --> 00:06:26.000 But growing up, it was really, really terrible to even think that one day I would achieve what I want to achieve. 88 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:26.961 I'll get the voice. 89 00:06:27.802 --> 00:06:30.663 Not to just talk for myself, but to talk for people. 90 00:06:31.383 --> 00:06:33.524 I never dreamt that I would even cross the seas. 91 00:06:33.784 --> 00:06:37.185 I mean, cross the roads in my hometown to the next town. 92 00:06:37.205 --> 00:06:42.386 I used to talk about getting to a national level in Ghana and then flying overseas to the UK. 93 00:06:42.426 --> 00:06:47.228 So that is how life actually was for me growing up as a child. 94 00:06:47.248 --> 00:06:47.968 Very challenging. 95 00:06:48.748 --> 00:06:54.790 And I mean, really something that when I look back, I feel like God has been great. 96 00:06:54.810 --> 00:06:54.990 Yeah. 97 00:06:55.670 --> 00:06:58.812 It's interesting in that you mentioned that there is no hope. 98 00:06:59.332 --> 00:07:03.554 And I look at you now, I'm from speaking to you just on and off camera, I see a man of hope. 99 00:07:03.814 --> 00:07:09.057 So I'm really curious about where did that switch for you? 100 00:07:09.097 --> 00:07:10.418 What did that look like for you? 101 00:07:10.478 --> 00:07:14.520 Because you are a remarkable man of hope when I speak to you. 102 00:07:14.540 --> 00:07:16.461 And I'd be interested to hear about that. 103 00:07:17.301 --> 00:07:17.662 Yeah. 104 00:07:19.820 --> 00:07:24.343 God has a way of uplifting everyone and God has a plan for everyone. 105 00:07:24.383 --> 00:07:26.785 I've always said that you don't have to give up on yourself. 106 00:07:27.285 --> 00:07:32.849 If you give up on yourself, it's not yourself that you're giving up by, you're giving up to the people looking up to you and the society that's looking up to you. 107 00:07:33.530 --> 00:07:36.812 And I didn't grow up from a privileged family. 108 00:07:37.072 --> 00:07:42.016 I had my, I lost my dad when I was six years old. 109 00:07:42.096 --> 00:07:46.419 I have two senior brother and two sisters as well. 110 00:07:46.439 --> 00:07:47.480 I'm the last born of four. 111 00:07:47.540 --> 00:07:48.841 My mom was just a petty trader. 112 00:07:49.261 --> 00:07:52.325 So you could imagine life was really tough for us. 113 00:07:52.345 --> 00:07:57.852 So I never actually dreamt that I could get to any way in life and all that. 114 00:07:57.912 --> 00:08:04.079 It was just praying, hoping that a miracle would happen until I think when God wants to... 115 00:08:04.700 --> 00:08:08.483 I mean, use you as an agent of change, inspiration to others. 116 00:08:08.563 --> 00:08:10.985 Yes, a way of unetheling your talent. 117 00:08:11.145 --> 00:08:20.651 And I was born into a church called, by then the church was called Seed Across Nations Evangelistic Ministries. 118 00:08:21.332 --> 00:08:24.914 So that's where, yeah, that was a church that I was born into. 119 00:08:24.974 --> 00:08:25.115 Mm-hmm. 120 00:08:25.935 --> 00:08:32.657 By then, Christianity was not really popular in my village because Christians were not many. 121 00:08:33.217 --> 00:08:46.960 It was now that they were not trying to propagate and people were not trying to assimilate, integrate, understand the perspective of Christianity because, I mean, traditionally they have their own religion, which is the ATR, what we call the African traditional religion. 122 00:08:47.680 --> 00:08:50.861 They believe in their ancestors, they pray through their ancestors and do all that. 123 00:08:50.901 --> 00:08:54.202 But when Christianity came in, that was when we were still younger now. 124 00:08:56.262 --> 00:09:00.525 When, through my church, I had a special gift. 125 00:09:01.146 --> 00:09:06.489 We used to have something like Bible quotations, like soul drill, Bible competitions and all that. 126 00:09:06.929 --> 00:09:10.772 And that's how God actually created the way for me. 127 00:09:11.512 --> 00:09:18.357 I was gifted with a talent of even at age seven to eight, I could recite more than 200 Bible quotations in, 128 00:09:18.397 --> 00:09:20.639 Whoa, that is crazy. 129 00:09:20.719 --> 00:09:25.982 I had that retentive memory that I could read, understand, store it, reproduce it. 130 00:09:26.703 --> 00:09:29.825 And let's say the three of us are into a competition. 131 00:09:30.665 --> 00:09:31.826 It starts with Solomon. 132 00:09:31.906 --> 00:09:34.588 Okay, you start mentioning your Bible quotation. 133 00:09:34.608 --> 00:09:36.529 Then you mention maybe John 3, 16. 134 00:09:36.569 --> 00:09:37.790 Then for God's son of the word. 135 00:09:37.810 --> 00:09:41.012 So he comes and it goes on and on and on. 136 00:09:41.032 --> 00:09:42.773 Then maybe it comes to my turn I mentioned. 137 00:09:42.793 --> 00:09:44.434 So we are going around in cycles. 138 00:09:44.454 --> 00:09:46.616 So immediately you repeat your Bible verse. 139 00:09:48.417 --> 00:10:10.453 the competition so this was a seven eight year old boy competing with people that were 15 16 years in high school i was in junior i mean i was in basic school and all that and i used to lead my church in these bible quotations bible quizzes and i used to win and i became the star of the model as a poster boy of the church so 140 00:10:11.373 --> 00:10:15.175 All the quizzes are the one leading the church. 141 00:10:15.195 --> 00:10:16.996 At eight years old? 142 00:10:17.096 --> 00:10:17.936 Yeah. 143 00:10:18.237 --> 00:10:22.799 Leading the church in Bible cultivation because of the upbringing I had from Sunday school and all that. 144 00:10:22.819 --> 00:10:26.241 My teachers were actually proud of me and then they were putting me out for. 145 00:10:26.621 --> 00:10:36.005 So it was on one of those occasions that World Vision, the area development program, what we call the ADB, by then they had to reintroduce it in the late 90s, around 99 and all that. 146 00:10:36.025 --> 00:10:38.527 So World Vision had a project for churches 147 00:10:39.167 --> 00:10:41.268 where they go around, organize Bible quotations. 148 00:10:41.288 --> 00:10:54.157 So it was part of, because a Christian entity, charity organization, the main idea was to spread Christianity and also create platform for people to achieve their dreams and all that. 149 00:10:54.177 --> 00:10:57.860 So it was on one of those competitions that they identified me. 150 00:10:58.820 --> 00:11:02.381 The area development program coordinator was called Norbert. 151 00:11:02.801 --> 00:11:05.922 Norbert identified me and said, this boy is good. 152 00:11:05.962 --> 00:11:07.203 Why don't we bring him on board? 153 00:11:07.223 --> 00:11:16.505 Because by then, Walbush had already selected certain schools that they were going to give that support to children, support and all that, that were being spawned. 154 00:11:16.525 --> 00:11:22.867 Because of the volume of poverty, because it is a whole village that is really impoverished. 155 00:11:22.927 --> 00:11:24.868 So you can have every child on board. 156 00:11:24.908 --> 00:11:25.108 So, 157 00:11:25.668 --> 00:11:29.150 There was a criteria, I mean, I think it was a tossing or something like that. 158 00:11:29.170 --> 00:11:31.592 So when you're lucky, then you get the selected 13 schools. 159 00:11:32.092 --> 00:11:34.614 My school was in part because we were not fortunate. 160 00:11:35.175 --> 00:11:43.861 And I can remember my colleagues that were part of it, but other schools had their children, I mean, school children being selected for the sponsorship. 161 00:11:43.901 --> 00:11:50.085 And so they were given animal to wear so that they can use as a sustainable means for children. 162 00:11:50.345 --> 00:11:51.345 not just a child alone. 163 00:11:51.365 --> 00:11:55.807 I'll be talking about that later, but it's something that is for the entire family to benefit from. 164 00:11:56.147 --> 00:12:01.268 Yeah, they give them sometimes toiletries and all those things, help them with boots to wear. 165 00:12:01.688 --> 00:12:09.611 And then they also help them with their school, I mean, uniforms, books, and these things were brought from their sponsors and all that. 166 00:12:11.551 --> 00:12:32.777 um when war vision saw me in one of the competitions they brought me in and then um i was now part of like i was more or less a project for the bongue adp of war vision because um the focus was on me how to um use me as an inspiration to other children because of the talent special talent of 167 00:12:33.257 --> 00:12:51.428 bible quotation having knowledge of the bible at that younger age and all that so well vision came in and that was the turning point that god actually uh god god more or less use well vision as a savior to um i mean let me actualize my my dream so all vision came in 168 00:12:52.068 --> 00:13:04.196 they added me to their area development programs where they also were organizing like inter-school competitions, like Bible competitions, like inter-regionals and all that. 169 00:13:04.216 --> 00:13:08.418 So in my school, I was also part of the quiz team. 170 00:13:08.458 --> 00:13:13.682 So I was winning because of my, I mean, it was great. 171 00:13:13.702 --> 00:13:14.782 I was gifted with intelligence. 172 00:13:14.802 --> 00:13:18.625 So we used to win our quizzes and World Vision gave us some prizes and all that. 173 00:13:18.645 --> 00:13:18.845 So yeah. 174 00:13:19.425 --> 00:13:26.027 When World Vision started, they organized a Bible program between churches, between schools. 175 00:13:26.167 --> 00:13:29.048 I was always weaning on the top. 176 00:13:29.068 --> 00:13:36.451 So because they knew that I had a promising future, they started bringing me in to help me financially. 177 00:13:36.571 --> 00:13:37.831 They gave me toiletries. 178 00:13:38.251 --> 00:13:40.312 And when they give you toiletries, it's not a case. 179 00:13:40.352 --> 00:13:41.672 It's just for Sam alone. 180 00:13:41.732 --> 00:13:44.433 When I send it home, my mom and my siblings are there. 181 00:13:44.453 --> 00:13:46.734 Definitely, they would benefit from it. 182 00:13:47.374 --> 00:13:49.878 Yeah, I think my first shoe I had from World Vision. 183 00:13:49.898 --> 00:13:50.659 Really? 184 00:13:50.859 --> 00:13:56.568 Yeah, the first shoe I had to wear was from what it was like a Nike kind of boots. 185 00:13:57.088 --> 00:14:00.874 And then these white socks that they used to distribute to the sponsored children. 186 00:14:00.894 --> 00:14:01.835 I was really happy. 187 00:14:01.875 --> 00:14:02.136 I was... 188 00:14:02.697 --> 00:14:18.739 that's where i started regaining like strength i started feeling loved that yes i mean i'll be a valley of society someday like people world vision cherishes me world vision is giving me the platform and all that so it actually restored some level of social dignity and gave me a voice so 189 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:25.962 I essentially became an integral part of our vision projects and then sure that I never lacked. 190 00:14:26.282 --> 00:14:30.984 And everything that I was supported with trickled down to my family. 191 00:14:31.004 --> 00:14:37.907 So their sponsorship was such that if you are helping one child or if one child is being sponsored, you're not going to be able to help. 192 00:14:38.596 --> 00:14:43.441 It is not that you are sponsoring one child, but the benefit goes down to the family. 193 00:14:44.161 --> 00:14:48.265 Because whatever the child gets, the family also benefits from it. 194 00:14:48.766 --> 00:14:54.771 So if I get groceries or I get toiletries, I take it home, the family will use it for laundry, not just for me alone. 195 00:14:54.791 --> 00:14:54.972 Mm-hmm. 196 00:14:55.572 --> 00:14:58.116 So it's in the bigger picture, the whole community. 197 00:14:58.136 --> 00:15:04.666 So if you sponsor one child, you automatically sponsor a family of four or five because everything that a child gets, the family benefits. 198 00:15:05.106 --> 00:15:09.493 So imagine a community where 10 children are being spawned, meaning 10 families. 199 00:15:10.454 --> 00:15:14.258 where minimum number of family members are four or five, then you look at the numbers. 200 00:15:14.579 --> 00:15:16.141 So that's how the thing works. 201 00:15:16.161 --> 00:15:26.152 So you may be in the UK here and you are sponsoring one child in Malawi and you think that it's only one child, but you are impacting the lives of- It goes beyond that. 202 00:15:26.313 --> 00:15:27.194 Yeah, it goes beyond that. 203 00:15:27.254 --> 00:15:29.456 You're impacting the lives of a family 204 00:15:30.217 --> 00:15:33.519 And then to a larger extent, a whole community. 205 00:15:34.400 --> 00:15:37.101 So that is how it all started for me. 206 00:15:37.922 --> 00:15:41.484 And I became, I mean, confident. 207 00:15:41.664 --> 00:15:44.506 I started building that confidence and all those things. 208 00:15:44.526 --> 00:15:52.171 So because I felt I was no longer lacking and all that, I had that opportunity to blossom in my career, right? 209 00:15:52.191 --> 00:15:56.774 From basic school to junior high school to my secondary school. 210 00:15:56.814 --> 00:15:58.415 And when I got to the secondary school, 211 00:15:58.955 --> 00:16:02.038 I was part of World Vision, some of their projects. 212 00:16:02.158 --> 00:16:10.266 Whenever I went on mid-thames, I go to support some of the ADPs, to do what we call the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration. 213 00:16:10.686 --> 00:16:22.077 So it was a project that World Vision brought into as a form of a climate resilient policy to nurture trees, like the shrubs to become trees because of the environment that we found ourselves. 214 00:16:22.497 --> 00:16:26.259 in our part of the country, the northern part of the country, we have a unimoldal form of rainfall. 215 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:27.900 I mean, like it rains once in a year. 216 00:16:28.260 --> 00:16:35.964 So we experienced drought, bushfires, and also people cut trees for firewood and all that sort of fuel and all that. 217 00:16:36.205 --> 00:16:40.287 So the whole campaign was how to protect the environment and also 218 00:16:40.887 --> 00:16:43.628 get a livelihood, a sustainable livelihood for people. 219 00:16:43.648 --> 00:16:46.649 So I was roped into some of these projects that they were doing and all that. 220 00:16:46.669 --> 00:16:52.430 And that's where I started gaining that strength to fight for social justice. 221 00:16:52.570 --> 00:16:55.111 I started gaining that strength to have a stronger voice. 222 00:16:55.191 --> 00:16:59.352 And that actually led me to my current- To your journalist. 223 00:16:59.412 --> 00:17:00.573 I see journalist, yeah. 224 00:17:03.647 --> 00:17:05.988 Sorry for the interruption, we have news. 225 00:17:06.128 --> 00:17:07.849 Zoe, would you like to share? 226 00:17:08.010 --> 00:17:08.810 Yes, I would. 227 00:17:09.150 --> 00:17:11.872 Friends, this September we're heading to Malawi. 228 00:17:11.932 --> 00:17:17.655 We've heard incredible stories of faith and resilience, and we have the opportunity to go and meet the people behind those stories. 229 00:17:17.695 --> 00:17:28.301 Yes, and we'll be doing that with World Vision, a Christian-led humanitarian charity who work alongside local communities to bring support to children and families and to basically help tackle poverty. 230 00:17:28.441 --> 00:17:31.343 They do amazing work, and we're so excited to be partnering with them. 231 00:17:31.683 --> 00:17:38.205 Over the course of the trip, we'll be meeting people, shaking hands, hearing stories and seeing the work that's already happening on the ground. 232 00:17:38.305 --> 00:17:41.226 And we would like to invite you to be a part of it. 233 00:17:41.486 --> 00:17:44.807 One of the initiatives World Vision runs is called Chosen Sponsorship. 234 00:17:45.027 --> 00:17:48.928 Now, Chosen basically flips the typical idea of child sponsorship on its head. 235 00:17:49.248 --> 00:17:55.930 Instead of you choosing a child to sponsor, Chosen returns agency back to the kids and a child chooses you. 236 00:17:56.230 --> 00:17:59.633 Yes, and so we'll be going to Malawi and be seeing Chosen in action. 237 00:17:59.713 --> 00:18:02.515 And if you want to get involved, follow the link below and sign up. 238 00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:08.520 You know, first of all, thank you for sharing, but I just have a question. 239 00:18:08.580 --> 00:18:21.703 You mentioned earlier that you had this gift, this unique gift of memorizing Bible verses that you were going to competitions and then you start to become this almost like a poster boy in your community for the church. 240 00:18:21.723 --> 00:18:25.423 And that's how World Vision sort of picked up on you and stuff like this. 241 00:18:25.483 --> 00:18:26.904 And I'm just interested 242 00:18:29.204 --> 00:18:35.654 Was there a lot of pressure with that to perform and to be this sort of person, this leader and this figure at such a young age, right? 243 00:18:35.674 --> 00:18:37.237 You were eight, nine years old. 244 00:18:38.859 --> 00:18:40.281 What was that experience like? 245 00:18:40.341 --> 00:18:41.463 Did you, were you aware of that? 246 00:18:42.837 --> 00:18:51.263 Well, at that age, you may not feel the pressure, but I felt motivated because I feel like I was doing something great. 247 00:18:51.623 --> 00:18:56.386 I feel like... Because other children were also inspired by what I was doing. 248 00:18:56.406 --> 00:18:58.907 Other parents were using me as... 249 00:19:00.428 --> 00:19:02.349 a reference point to encourage your kids. 250 00:19:02.909 --> 00:19:05.870 So I felt like, well, I'm making an impact. 251 00:19:06.310 --> 00:19:08.191 So I have to continue doing what I'm doing. 252 00:19:08.411 --> 00:19:13.873 And the fact that World Vision has come on board to support me, this is the time for me to actualize my dream. 253 00:19:13.913 --> 00:19:17.775 So at that age, you may not feel that to be a pressure. 254 00:19:17.855 --> 00:19:19.815 You feel like that was a motivation. 255 00:19:20.376 --> 00:19:23.357 So with the support coming in was a motivation. 256 00:19:23.717 --> 00:19:26.398 Because one thing is that the pillars of World Vision 257 00:19:27.198 --> 00:19:35.726 was not just to make you economically better, but a pillar was to make you socially heard, gives you the voice. 258 00:19:36.526 --> 00:19:39.449 One, to help you economically. 259 00:19:39.529 --> 00:19:43.012 Two, to give you that social voice and dignity. 260 00:19:43.513 --> 00:19:46.856 And then three, to let you self-actualize. 261 00:19:47.516 --> 00:19:53.221 So, I mean, with they coming in, it kind of inculcated all these things. 262 00:19:54.102 --> 00:20:21.473 core values that is stood for in me i feel like i'm getting the financial support i'm getting that voice to be heard i'm i'm getting my dignity i mean being um protected because i have that voice i have that platform to also um use it um as a platform to um talk about things that matter for the development of the communities i mean if i'm an inspiration if i start like and our children are 263 00:20:22.073 --> 00:20:46.373 learning from me is something that is an inspiration to them as well so they will pick it up from there and then the community will become better so i didn't feel like it was a pressure on me i just felt like it was an opportunity and i needed to put in more effort in ensuring that at least all that they have invested in me will not go waste and and also i'll be able to actualize what i wanted to uh to do in in future yeah 264 00:20:48.116 --> 00:21:13.257 that's so great that's that's awesome that you had that perspective yeah because i think hearing hearing you say towards the beginning of sharing you know how oh i can't remember if this was off camera or on camera but the difference in like the children in the the uk in a certain level of school compared to the children like northern ghana and like that they would be more timid and fearful in comparison to the children here 265 00:21:13.697 --> 00:21:21.164 But I think that's so like amazing to hear that actually you take it as a charge for like, yeah, do you know what? 266 00:21:21.204 --> 00:21:28.490 I can do this and I'm going to inspire and teach the other children in my community that they can do this as well. 267 00:21:28.590 --> 00:21:28.851 Yeah. 268 00:21:28.991 --> 00:21:29.872 I think it's amazing. 269 00:21:29.972 --> 00:21:30.152 Yeah. 270 00:21:30.572 --> 00:21:35.099 Yeah, so obviously a lot of your upbringing was based in church. 271 00:21:35.360 --> 00:21:40.287 How was it before World Vision came in, your own personal faith and then also after they came in? 272 00:21:40.668 --> 00:21:43.752 Yeah, how did your personal faith grow, change, develop? 273 00:21:44.173 --> 00:21:45.335 What did that look like for you? 274 00:21:45.831 --> 00:21:46.091 All right. 275 00:21:46.131 --> 00:21:49.814 So I was born into, I'm 34 now. 276 00:21:50.075 --> 00:21:52.697 My church started in 1992. 277 00:21:53.417 --> 00:21:55.319 So it started basically time I was born. 278 00:21:55.879 --> 00:21:57.581 So I was born into the church. 279 00:21:58.161 --> 00:22:00.143 But originally my family were not Christians. 280 00:22:00.223 --> 00:22:01.424 My mom wasn't a Christian. 281 00:22:01.464 --> 00:22:02.925 My dad wasn't a Christian. 282 00:22:03.245 --> 00:22:04.306 But they were quite liberal. 283 00:22:04.386 --> 00:22:09.050 You could be joined in a religious fate of your choice and all that. 284 00:22:09.070 --> 00:22:11.172 So because I was born into the church, 285 00:22:11.612 --> 00:22:16.193 I grew up with the Christian faith and I was also committed Christian. 286 00:22:16.313 --> 00:22:25.394 I mean, because I went through the ranks like Sunday school and I was even part of the church choir and there are a lot of activities. 287 00:22:25.955 --> 00:22:38.917 And then the biggest responsibility for me at that younger age was the the lead quiz boy, if I may say, for the church, Bible quotations and quizzes and all those things. 288 00:22:38.937 --> 00:22:38.997 So, 289 00:22:39.697 --> 00:22:44.680 My personal faith, even at that younger age, I believed and always prayed. 290 00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:51.684 I believed that God would definitely make a way, not just for me alone, but my community and all that. 291 00:22:51.724 --> 00:22:58.148 So it was a personal faith that I had in God that things were going to work out. 292 00:22:58.328 --> 00:23:00.949 And at even that younger age, I knew how to pray. 293 00:23:01.029 --> 00:23:04.791 And I was really committed to my religion and belief. 294 00:23:04.971 --> 00:23:07.533 And nothing could change because I... 295 00:23:08.053 --> 00:23:11.154 I was more or less an avowed Christian even at that younger age. 296 00:23:11.654 --> 00:23:12.894 I knew what I was into. 297 00:23:12.914 --> 00:23:14.115 I was more forced into it. 298 00:23:14.335 --> 00:23:16.635 I grew up Christian. 299 00:23:16.655 --> 00:23:18.256 I'm proud of being a Christian. 300 00:23:18.436 --> 00:23:25.818 And I've always been proud that God has made me a tool of impact through my church. 301 00:23:26.578 --> 00:23:29.319 And throughout that, did you have like a particular Bible verse? 302 00:23:29.360 --> 00:23:38.945 Obviously you knew loads of Bible verses, but did you have a particular one or chapter of the Bible that was like your favourite to come back to like time and time again? 303 00:23:38.965 --> 00:23:40.705 Yeah. 304 00:23:40.725 --> 00:23:42.726 I, I, I... 305 00:23:44.797 --> 00:23:47.538 I would not say I have a specific Bible verse. 306 00:23:47.658 --> 00:23:48.479 It's a hard question. 307 00:23:48.499 --> 00:23:49.539 Yeah, it's a hard question. 308 00:23:49.859 --> 00:23:51.760 I do not have a specific Bible verse. 309 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:56.382 But the fact that I believe in the books of Psalms. 310 00:23:57.242 --> 00:24:02.705 Yeah, that's my favorite book, like book of Psalms and book of Leviticus. 311 00:24:02.725 --> 00:24:06.987 I don't have a specific one, but there are others that I actually draw inspiration from. 312 00:24:07.747 --> 00:24:14.092 Yeah, when I want to easily relate with certain staff and get some encouragement, I read a book of Psalms. 313 00:24:14.752 --> 00:24:22.398 When I want something that is somewhat proverbial, relatable to what I'm doing, I move to a book of Proverbs. 314 00:24:22.859 --> 00:24:26.381 Revelation, because a book of Revelation talks about... 315 00:24:27.689 --> 00:24:31.274 I mean, even what happened in the past, what is in the present and what will happen in the future. 316 00:24:31.675 --> 00:24:42.951 So these were books that were like a guiding compass for me that I really, really like in terms of trouble, I moved to the Book of Psalms, used that one as encouragement. 317 00:24:43.772 --> 00:24:47.413 And no matter the situation that I find myself, I know that God is with me. 318 00:24:48.013 --> 00:24:50.434 And as my name implies, you know, the meaning of Samuel. 319 00:24:50.454 --> 00:24:52.335 So that is it. 320 00:24:52.395 --> 00:24:54.596 And obviously the book of Samuel as well. 321 00:24:55.476 --> 00:25:02.898 So I really have specific books in the Bible that I can resort to depending on my situation. 322 00:25:03.058 --> 00:25:03.559 That's great. 323 00:25:03.579 --> 00:25:04.859 But not just a specific Bible. 324 00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:20.011 yeah that is a hard question i don't think i could answer that to be fair and like considering this like how has your understanding of god changed like throughout the years all the way from you being a little boy who's born into the faith and then all the way now a man of hope who's a 325 00:25:23.100 --> 00:25:24.381 My faith hasn't changed. 326 00:25:25.201 --> 00:25:26.201 I believe in God. 327 00:25:26.642 --> 00:25:31.744 I communicate to God, especially whenever I want to take decisions. 328 00:25:31.824 --> 00:25:35.226 I take decisions in my washroom, in the shower. 329 00:25:35.466 --> 00:25:36.426 That's where I take decisions. 330 00:25:36.466 --> 00:25:37.647 That's where I communicate with God. 331 00:25:37.687 --> 00:25:40.288 And it turns out to be right for me. 332 00:25:41.108 --> 00:25:45.791 So even though I've been exposed, I've seen... 333 00:25:46.751 --> 00:25:48.273 I've engaged with different people. 334 00:25:48.293 --> 00:25:52.237 I've read about many stuff, but it hasn't shifted my faith. 335 00:25:53.118 --> 00:25:55.941 As a Christian, I'm not sure anything will ever change it. 336 00:25:56.802 --> 00:26:06.071 I believe in God and I always, when I get opportunity, I tell people the message of God, the opportunities that you start to get as a Christian. 337 00:26:06.212 --> 00:26:06.512 Mm-hmm. 338 00:26:07.848 --> 00:26:09.470 I am liberal. 339 00:26:09.650 --> 00:26:11.872 I wouldn't say I'm a liberal Christian. 340 00:26:12.012 --> 00:26:18.157 I wouldn't say I go according to strictly by what this church's doctrines are. 341 00:26:18.817 --> 00:26:21.540 But once you're a Christian, I see all of us as one people. 342 00:26:21.560 --> 00:26:22.801 It doesn't matter you're a Baptist. 343 00:26:23.381 --> 00:26:27.484 It doesn't matter you're a Presbyterian, you're a Methodist, you're a Catholic and all that. 344 00:26:27.524 --> 00:26:30.227 We are all Christians and the main faith is in God. 345 00:26:30.907 --> 00:26:33.650 So that is what matters. 346 00:26:34.110 --> 00:26:36.292 I can walk into a Catholic church, I worship with them. 347 00:26:36.512 --> 00:26:44.139 I can walk into a Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, any of the churches, and I'm free because this is the house of the Lord. 348 00:26:44.639 --> 00:26:49.924 And in the house of the Lord, there's no segregation as to this is from a Catholic church, this is from this and all that. 349 00:26:49.984 --> 00:26:52.206 So I'm still a staunch Christian. 350 00:26:52.566 --> 00:26:55.709 I believe in God and nothing will ever shift to that. 351 00:26:56.109 --> 00:27:16.224 You know, looking back to yourself as a young man, I'm curious, is there anything that you would, I mean, or even someone that's kind of having a similar experience to the one you had or is having a similar upbringing, what would you say to someone like that or yourself as a young man? 352 00:27:17.205 --> 00:27:23.750 Well, I've always believed that, my belief is that you don't have to fail. 353 00:27:23.770 --> 00:27:23.870 Yeah. 354 00:27:25.201 --> 00:27:27.783 If you want to give up, you are not giving up to yourself. 355 00:27:28.844 --> 00:27:33.387 You may feel that you are giving up to yourself because of the situation that you find in yourself. 356 00:27:34.308 --> 00:27:38.891 But just remember that there are people looking up to you that you may not be aware. 357 00:27:39.492 --> 00:27:41.153 The society is also looking up to you. 358 00:27:41.733 --> 00:27:45.937 So one thing you should always remember is that you are not failing yourself. 359 00:27:46.777 --> 00:27:47.838 You are failing yourself. 360 00:27:48.981 --> 00:27:53.686 If only you are making up your mind to give up, you are failing an entire generation. 361 00:27:54.207 --> 00:27:56.329 You are failing a society. 362 00:27:56.409 --> 00:28:06.180 So many people look up to you that no matter the situation, you do not have to even think for a second that I want to give up because of the situation that you find yourself. 363 00:28:07.143 --> 00:28:11.345 You just have to remember that people look up to you and you can't afford to fail them. 364 00:28:11.905 --> 00:28:19.469 Because if I did, maybe someone who was looking up to me was inspired by me, wouldn't have been able to achieve. 365 00:28:19.569 --> 00:28:22.131 I don't know maybe the number of people I've been able to impact. 366 00:28:22.591 --> 00:28:24.392 Because I remember when I was on radio, 367 00:28:25.012 --> 00:28:29.915 That's about close to seven years ago when I was doing my regular radio program. 368 00:28:30.615 --> 00:28:41.480 There was a time my mom phoned me or like, she feels happy and fulfilled to hear me every morning signing in onto radio. 369 00:28:41.540 --> 00:28:43.722 And I mentioned my name and I welcome everybody. 370 00:28:43.742 --> 00:28:44.622 I'm talking to the masses. 371 00:28:45.102 --> 00:28:47.904 Over thousands of people listening to you every morning. 372 00:28:48.544 --> 00:28:50.325 And that is what gives her joy. 373 00:28:50.865 --> 00:28:53.947 I've had people who say you are an inspiration 374 00:28:55.057 --> 00:29:02.342 The way you talk on radio, the way you talk about things, the way looking at where you came from and where you are, I'm really motivated. 375 00:29:02.882 --> 00:29:04.703 But that doesn't mean that I don't have problems. 376 00:29:05.364 --> 00:29:09.767 That doesn't mean that in my daily, I mean, routines, I do not have challenges. 377 00:29:09.847 --> 00:29:11.828 I do not think about quitting at a point. 378 00:29:12.268 --> 00:29:15.451 But sometimes when I think about what people tell me, 379 00:29:16.211 --> 00:29:25.718 I feel like then if I've taken that bedroom decision that I was going to give up on myself, I can imagine the amount of people that I'm impacting negatively that will also give up. 380 00:29:26.679 --> 00:29:31.422 So it's something that you should always keep at the back of your mind that you don't have to give up on yourself. 381 00:29:33.344 --> 00:29:38.848 It is not about you, but it is about the society that is looking up to you. 382 00:29:40.164 --> 00:29:41.785 to help make it a better place. 383 00:29:41.805 --> 00:29:47.769 Because if other people were given up, I'm not sure we have gotten to where we are as a society. 384 00:29:48.369 --> 00:29:50.391 Remember, the life is not about you alone. 385 00:29:50.771 --> 00:29:54.974 It's about you may be born into a family, but you belong to society. 386 00:29:55.074 --> 00:29:56.114 You belong to your church. 387 00:29:56.475 --> 00:30:00.257 You belong to the people around your friends, your loved ones, and you can't afford to feel that. 388 00:30:00.417 --> 00:30:06.882 I mean, getting to know you more, it makes so much sense that you're a journalist passionate about political accountability and social justice. 389 00:30:07.002 --> 00:30:07.722 That just checks out. 390 00:30:07.903 --> 00:30:09.324 That makes a lot of sense. 391 00:30:09.584 --> 00:30:10.685 That makes a lot of sense. 392 00:30:11.285 --> 00:30:17.550 Is there anything else you'd like to, well, both of you actually, anything else you'd like to say or ask or share? 393 00:30:18.490 --> 00:30:27.214 Yeah, so on the perspective of supporting people, especially when it comes to children, I'm much passionate. 394 00:30:27.695 --> 00:30:37.760 Sometimes I feel bad that I'm not currently in the position to also make an impact in the lives, like directly like how World Vision came in and supported people. 395 00:30:39.101 --> 00:31:01.620 children like me at a younger age and all that so when i watch the tv i see people from different parts of the world children i mean needing attention and all that i really feel bad because i've been there before i know how that feeling is like and what i whenever i get opportunity um i try as much as possible to tell people that look 396 00:31:02.381 --> 00:31:03.042 I'm a mirror. 397 00:31:03.162 --> 00:31:12.948 Just if you are thinking of the impact of your contribution, be it a pound, two pounds, a penny, you may feel like, oh, this is not anything. 398 00:31:12.988 --> 00:31:14.388 What's the impact is it going to make? 399 00:31:14.428 --> 00:31:20.612 But some of these things can make thousands of people like me or has made thousands of people like me. 400 00:31:21.033 --> 00:31:26.236 I've had people or colleagues at a younger age who were also beneficiaries of World Vision. 401 00:31:26.976 --> 00:31:29.279 either being sponsored or not sponsored. 402 00:31:29.339 --> 00:31:30.521 They are now all over the world. 403 00:31:30.541 --> 00:31:31.342 Some of them are nurses. 404 00:31:31.722 --> 00:31:32.603 Some of them are teachers. 405 00:31:32.623 --> 00:31:34.806 Some of them are engineers in different fields. 406 00:31:34.846 --> 00:31:46.520 And look at the impact that someone in the UK, someone in Canada, someone in the US, by virtue of the person pledging a pound, a dollar, to say, I'm supporting the course of education. 407 00:31:47.381 --> 00:31:50.963 children in a different continent, this is the impact that you're making. 408 00:31:51.484 --> 00:31:58.909 So if you are someone who wants to, or who has been supporting charity and you feel like, is this really making an impact? 409 00:31:58.929 --> 00:31:59.530 Just look at me. 410 00:31:59.970 --> 00:32:02.012 I'm the physical evidence of... 411 00:32:03.032 --> 00:32:09.978 contributions that have actually inured to not just me alone, but a larger community. 412 00:32:09.998 --> 00:32:10.958 So you don't have to give up. 413 00:32:11.199 --> 00:32:13.761 It takes the world to make it a better place. 414 00:32:14.001 --> 00:32:16.463 And we don't have to give up at all. 415 00:32:17.023 --> 00:32:18.084 It's really impactful. 416 00:32:18.184 --> 00:32:19.265 Charity is impactful. 417 00:32:19.725 --> 00:32:23.728 And no matter wherever you find yourself, don't be in despair at all. 418 00:32:23.948 --> 00:32:29.472 Continue to give because the number of children you are saving out there, you can't count. 419 00:32:29.673 --> 00:32:31.354 And the impact is immeasurable. 420 00:32:32.674 --> 00:32:46.900 that's amazing yeah thank you so much for coming on samuel we've been so impacted by what you've shared yeah um especially around the piece of not giving up on yourself because others are looking up to you and of being reminded that 421 00:32:47.540 --> 00:33:12.679 like everybody has value and everyone can has potential and can reach that potential i think that's so inspirational so thank you so much for sharing that and for sharing everything else that you have today um guys we hope that you've enjoyed this episode um and we hope that you have a lovely rest of your day week night evening um yeah whatever it is whenever you're watching this um but god bless you and goodbye