Richman's story

The plight of young men in the delta is a story of frustration, boredom, disillusionment and in many cases anger. Education is minimal, job opportunities scarce and even with qualifications the stigma of heralding from this area can preclude acceptance to university or employment.
The rewards from crime, gang involvement and oil are relatively easy and can be large.
The question is how to motivate these young men, to release their potential, and enable them to have a future?
New Foundations is not political, but greed, lack of central vision and conflicting agendas have created an impasse that has robbed many of hope, motivation and a future.
Richman (forgive the unintended irony) is just one man living near the clinic whose words eloquently reflect the frustration felt by so many...


'My father’s name is Kurobiri.  He is a teacher in the school here which is right next to our house.  Every month he only makes 10,000 Nira from teaching.  Our house is no place for people to live, people shouldn’t live in a place like this.  Whenever it rains at night we must stand up otherwise we will be soaked in our sleep because the roof has holes in it.  You see my house?  How is a human meant to live here?  Look at it, take a picture.  How is someone supposed to live here?
I am waiting for my school certificate to arrive so I can go and work.  Now I cannot do anything.  There is no work, there is no money to leave to find work elsewhere, there is nothing to do here.   If a student from a village like here achieves good results, someone with money can buy their school certificate from someone  and give it to their own children.  Without a certificate there is no work.  There is nothing to do morning until night, everyday there is nothing for me to do.  I have no money to leave and no means to earn money here, how is a human meant to live like this?  What kind of situation is this for people to live in?  All the money goes to a few in the government while places like here stay undeveloped.  There is no development, no investment.  If the right people were in power I would be happy, but the wrong people stay in power for 8 years at a time.   I am tired, I am so tired of this living.  There is nothing here, I cannot do anything all day.  The government does not help, they do not invest.  I am tired, I am tired of this.  I want to leave here. Any small job I will do, just a little thing for myself.  There is nothing here..........'