AfriPulse
BY ZION OSHIOBUGIE
From the age of sixteen until I turned twenty, I lived and worked as a domestic help in a five-bedroom duplex. I scrubbed floors, washed clothes, cooked meals, and did every chore you can imagine. My hands were never still, and my back often ached. I watched other young people my age enjoy their freedom while mine was bound by service.
In exchange for all that labour, I received something priceless: an education. Those four years of hard work for the chance to learn shaped me forever. They taught me what hardship feels like, but more importantly, what opportunity can do. That experience became a large part of my “why” today.
When people think of charity, they often imagine wealth, billionaires signing cheques or corporations funding grand projects. They assume you need millions before you can serve. But I know otherwise. I had no money when I started. What I had was a story and a heart that refused to give up. That was enough to begin my journey of impact.
The biggest obstacle to changing lives isn’t a lack of money. It’s fear. Fear whispers that you are not good enough. It tells you that you don’t have the resources or the connections. It convinces you to wait for the “right time.” But the right time never comes. You silence fear by starting anyway even when your resources are small, even when your reach feels limited, and even when doubt looms large.
Every movement begins with a story. Mine was cleaning a duplex in exchange for education. Yours may be different. Perhaps you grew up hungry. Perhaps you survived abuse. Perhaps you had a comfortable life but felt a deep ache when you saw others suffer. Whatever your story, it is more than personal history, it is a map. It points to the kind of impact you are uniquely called to make. When you understand your story, you find your “why,” and that “why” keeps you going when the work gets difficult.
Real change begins when you decide who you will serve. You cannot help everyone, and trying to do so will drain you. My focus is children and teenagers because I know from experience that poverty leaves deep scars early. If we want to break cycles of hopelessness, we must reach young people before despair becomes their identity. Your focus may be different; it could be widows, single mothers, young men at risk, or people with disabilities. The point isn’t who you choose, but that you choose. Focus sharpens your energy and builds trust. People will believe in your work when they see it grows from lived conviction.
You don’t need an office, a board, or a million-dollar grant to begin. Start small. Mentor one child. Train one widow in a skill. Feed one hungry family. When you act, record what you do. Take photos. Write about it. This isn’t vanity; it’s accountability. It’s proof for your community and for future supporters. Donors and partners don’t want empty words; they want evidence. A single photo of a child holding a book they’ve never owned can speak louder than any report.
But don’t stop at handouts. A bag of food eases hunger for a week, but skills and knowledge last a lifetime. True charity builds people, not just provisions. That’s why much of my work focuses on mindset, mentoring, and skills. When you empower someone to think differently, to see possibilities, and to gain tools they can use, they no longer depend on charity. They rise. They write a new story for themselves and their families.
I call this living with a million-dollar heart. I don’t have a million dollars in my account, but I have a heart that pushes me into schools, villages, and communities. Passion wakes me before dawn and drives me to keep going when resources are thin. Passion has carried me further than money ever could at the start.
Since I began, I’ve worked with thousands of children and young people. I’ve seen teenagers ready to give up rise again after a single mentoring session. I’ve seen widows discover that their hands can produce income. I’ve seen children in slums light up with hope because someone believed in them. None of these experiences required me to be a billionaire. They simply required me to say yes to my calling.
If you feel the tug to serve, don’t ignore it. The world is waiting for your story. There is someone out there who only you can reach not me, not a celebrity philanthropist, not a wealthy donor. You. Don’t wait for wealth or status. Start small. Start simple. Start now.
Looking back, I realise that the step I was once afraid to take was the step that led to everything. You don’t need millions to start changing lives. You need your story, your heart, and the courage to begin. That’s what I learned as a boy, cleaning a duplex to buy my educatio
Source: Championnews.com.ng | Read the Full Story…
