“Even if you just change one life, you’ve changed the world forever.” – Mike Satterfield
At Stand To End Rape, we understand that giving back is at the core of humanity and we love to recognize our volunteers, who go above and beyond in fighting against sexual violence and actively contributing to the day to day running of our initiative.
This month, we would like to recognize Rukee Ojigbo who is an attentive and devoted volunteer. He is a writer under the communications department at STER. In getting to know more about Rukee, we asked him a few questions:
What or who inspires you?
Dora Akunyili inspires Rukee a lot.
He goes on to say “When Dora was in charge of NAFDAC, I had just gained admission into the University. I was prone to malaria and one of my biggest fears was being knocked out by malaria and missing school work, so I had to be proactive with treatment. My next biggest fear was buying fake drugs, but I remember a voice whispering to me “don’t worry Dora is in charge”. During the holiday I had stayed glued to the tv watching Documentaries on the work she was doing and I had read a lot about her. You could say I was obsessed, but that was the only time I had ever believed in someone who worked with the Nigerian government. For me, she represented hope that things were going to get better with the Country. Dora didn’t just shine in the dark, she shone brightly in the darkest of times. And of course, every other thing she did, from when she was Minister of Information to her work at the CONFAB (even while she was sick). Dora Akunyili is by far my biggest hero.”
What is your Mantra?
Rukee’s mantra for life is “This too shall pass”
What do you do for fun?
Rukee used to enjoy reading and telling stories. But these days, he can’t tell the difference between his hobby and his job. He is a Software Engineer.
How can we address the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) problem in our society?
Rukee believes Education and Re-orientation would solve GBV. He adds “As we learned from the #EndSars protest, there’s a huge percentage of our community that thinks differently. These guys were responsible for some of the biggest setbacks we faced. To win the larger war you must deal with these elements and attempt to change their mindset. The same applies to gender-based violence. Hopefully, when next I get a chance to write, I will explore this in detail, I have been thinking about it long before the protest started”
What advice would you give your 15-year-old self?
Rukee would tell his 15-year-old self that sometimes failure/embarrassment is the cost of entry. It’s better to fail, pursuing your dreams than settling for less.
What is your definition of a ‘Safe Nigeria’?
One in which I can go anywhere, aspire to become anything, and thrive irrespective of my beliefs or affiliations, that is Rukee’s definition of a safe Nigeria.
STER appreciates all your hard work. Thank you for being part of us. Keep it up Rukee!
