Sometime In September

L-R Bamidele Oni, Mike Wingfield ( President International Union of Forestry Research Org), Jimmy Pavon

Sometime ago I came across a rather word of motivation that says "Aim for the moon, if you miss, you may hit a star" This I can affirm to as my "Green the World mission" took me through an unexpected journey. This style could sound a little different from my usual writings but it sure does no harm to add a little story to the many serious notes.

Earlier in the year I came across a post online as regards an opportunity for young and motivated innovators to speak concerning their relative social projects at a world congress in South Africa. I was greatly motivated to submit an application and in a way I was really hopeful that I could possibly make it this time around and be part of the winners to make it to the global gathering and even as I had always dreamt of such opportunity to showcase my works and be a motivation to other youths from around the world. 

So it all started, with many great competitors from all around the world with mind blowing initiatives and fantastic projects. For the records, I must say, there has not been a generation that is so full of potentials that could set a course of change for the whole of humanity. It is indeed a period in our history that a lot of young minds are so filled with incredible ideas as to changing the world for the better. As part of the winning steps, every competitor needed to make public their relative entry page which comprised of a video and a descriptive blog) and this was meant to enable a strategy of public voting and endorsement, so the more likes and endorsement an entry page has, the greater the potential of making the final listing.

The period was quite an engaging one as I had to constantly share the link on my social media platforms and more importantly with friends and fans so as to garner more likes. The process took like forever and while this was going on I came across a related opportunity that entailed a sponsorship cover to attend the same event and of course with extra responsibilities. I decided to take my chances with the application as well and at the end of the day I had my expectations at both ends but with a lot of focus on the bigger stage.

Some few weeks to the event I received a mail notification that I had been shortlisted as a winner of the all paid round trip to the event. It was quite a great news and I was certain I was going to make it to the World Forestry Congress in Durban, South Africa, but still a larger part of expectation was so attached to winning the part of the Youth speaker category. While still waiting for the results I decided to make do with the already much guaranteed sponsorship and I went about with the trip logistics. I had obtained my visa and gotten my ticket ready when the announcement finally came out and it was not in tune with my expectations, my entry did not make the final listing for the youth speaker category but with the consolation of my Green Impact Initiative being among the entries to be exhibited on the screen. On one part I was sad but at the same time I felt a contentment that I would still be at the event.

Alongside setting my travel plans I made preparation for my own personal exhibition and publicity, I made sure I had in my luggage a brand T-shirt of my Organization that would be glaring enough for publicity even if I did not end up on the stage as a youth speaker and some printed copies of organization's profile alongside with pictures of the Green moves so far. While of course I never forgot to pack some Christian tracts to share on my trip as it had always been my habit of sharing  the good news of my faith.

I arrived at the International terminals of O.R Tambo airport in Johannesburg on a Saturday to a real Cold weather that I seemed to not be well prepared for. I thereafter took a connecting flight to Durban where the World Forestry Congress was scheduled to hold. This was however my second visit to the beautiful coastal city of Durban and I had no difficulty in finding my way around and settling down.

Following the schedules of my responsibilities as being a sponsored youth delegation under an international

 organization, I had to make myself available for the preparation for the coming side event for which reason I was sponsored. It was a great moment though, meeting with a lot of young fellows from all across the world
and sharing ideas and thoughts. Then the engagement session started and we had a lot of presentations of which like always I was part of the lead presenters. At the end of the joint work session, there had to be the finalization as to coming up with the final compilations and choosing the presenters for the main event. About 10 youths signified interests as being the lead presenters and panellist and yours sincerely was definitely among them and still in my mind I was filled and troubled with thoughts of the ways I would make a significant Impact at the congress. I was caught almost off guard when I was called to give my motivation as to why I think myself the best candidate to be lead presenter. One part I missed to mention was that while we were having our group work presentations, I had been noted down by the chief coordinator of the event as a potential presenter( Wondering what he saw or what i did differently as to myself I felt I had not let out my best yet).

Well, to cut the long story short, I was picked alongside with a cute young lady as the presenters alongside another gentleman who stood in as a panellist. Then we had a surprise as the president of the International Union of Forest Research Organization had sent an invitation to just a youth to be part of the high level business dinner with top shots leaders in the world of forest. We had no extra crowd to vote, so we had to roll papers and as it happened again, I picked number 1 and it happened that I had to be the one to represent the youths at the business dinner. This was way beyond my imagination and it was like the path to making an Impact at the congress was eventually opening up. 

The dinner was fixed for 9pm and I had dusted my only jacket and polished up the only pair of shoes I brought from home. I arrived just in time for the gathering and we proceeded to the dinner room. I however had another youth join me who was lately handed an invitation and we were the only young faces among the crème de la crème in the world of forestry. The moment was really an intimidating one but then, we had to help ourselves to be in tune with all around. However the leaders were liberal enough and they made us feel comfortable being among them. Mike wingfield, the host of the dinner came along and introduced everybody and we proceeded to start the dinner.

It was quite a rare opportunity to engage in deliberation with great personalities that you do not  come across every day and towards the middle of the dinner, Mike said he would love to do something unusual as he would want the voice of the youths to be part of the deliberations and suddenly he looked at me and asked in the most graceful manner if I wouldn't mind speaking to the gathering. On my seat I felt like I was going to disappear into the thin air, but then I found myself take the centre stage and gave a speech. I stopped when I thought I had said enough only for me to hear some sounding applause from the table and Mike had to stand and this was what he said “Bamidele, some 30 years ago, I had a rare opportunity like this but I didn't perform as exceptional as you just did tonight. You stood and spoke like you have been with us all along and like a professional". I took this in and felt so light headed and with my thoughts all saying “Thank you lord for the opportunity". 

Then just about the next day, I got another invitation to take part in a tree planting reach out at some schools in Durban, this was really a fulfilling one for me and I could say the best of events I attended during the congress. Like I had always done back at home, I was able to plant trees in faraway South Africa and it talks a great deal of my dream and mission to lay a green landmark wherever I find myself in the world. Thanks to Victoria Soutar for extending the invite and I can say the view is getting clearer and the dream is getting more vivid.

I made quite a number of contacts and some good friends especially Jimmy Pavon, who was my roomie, he

Jimmy Pavon

took me on the scariest ride I had ever gone on in my life and still in my head I can still hear his heavy Spanish accent and I won’t forget the lesson he taught me (when you are in a new place with a lot of people all around, never talk to strangers, wear a straight face and open your eyes) 

And finally I met Charles batte, one of the winners of the youth speaker entry; surprisingly he told me he had been following my works all along, wow! I would say nothing missing, nothing lacking, still my presence was felt. And it was also great meeting with Miss Earth South Africa; unfortunately we couldn’t meet up for subsequent talks.

At the closing of the congress, I left for Johannesburg to visit an friend who I had not seen in a long time and I stayed on for a week before I departed for home.

Although I still took part in quite a number of other events at the congress but I felt more fulfilled with the ones I had taken my time to give the details here. I never made the list for the youth speaker corner but in every way I made the listing of exemplary youths that laid an impact of motivation while learning even more about myself.

Indeed aiming for the moon is worth the try!