Prince: You are Divine Kpe, where and when were you born?
Divine: I was born on the 11th of Sept. 1990 in Have Etoe in the Volta
Region to the late Mr. Thaddeus Agrady (a stenographer) and the late
Mrs. Grace Agrady (a trader).
Prince: Great! How old were you when you started school?
Divine: I started schooling at the age of 4.
Prince: And the schools are?
Divine: I had my primary education at Have R.C primary and my J.H.S
also at Have. I later proceeded to Kpedze Senior High School for my
secondary education. After completion, I went to St. Francis College
of Education (FRANCO) for my DBE programme where I graduated in 2013.
Prince: Can you share with us, those amazing accomplishments in your schoolings?
Divine: During my primary education, I had been the Class Prefect from
primary one (1) to primary five (5) and in primary six (6) became the
school?s Time Keeper. During my third yea of J.H.S, I was voted for
the position of the Assistant School Prefect. At S.H.S in the second
year, I was offered a scholarship to continue with my education. After
my S.H.S result was out, I was one day called by the then headmaster
that I had a free admission offer to offer Land Economy in KNUST. I
was surprised since I never applied to that school though it was my
dream to go there to pursue Economy. The offer was to students from
what they term ?Less endowed Schools? like mine who excelled in their
WASSCE. I was privileged to be given that offer but couldn?t utilised
the opportunity due to some challenges. Whiles at FRANCO, I was the
Course Prefect and later the S.R.C Vice President for the 2011/2012
academic year. I was also a member of the Creative Writers and
Debaters Club (CREWDEC). I filled campus news for the club. On many
occasions, I represented my Hall for debate and quiz competitions. I
was also the Public Relation Manager and later the Administrator for
the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG Volta Sector) for the
2012/2013 and 2013/2014 academic year respectively. At various
sittings of the Association, I served on different committees such as
the Communiqu? and Resolution Committee and the Evaluation Committee
at both sector and national level. I graduated with second class upper
honour and to say in order of merit the ninth person out of 227
students.
Prince:
Divine: I currently depend on my salary for that. Though I run my NGO
as a social entrepreneur, I don?t actually do that for financial gains
since it is a nonprofit organisation. But let me hasten to add that am
exploring another avenue in order to set my income generated business
and very soon, I will be my own employer and even employing others.
Prince: How did you start?
Divine: It all started as a result of passion. Over the years I have
the passion for youths’ development. I am an avid reader and love to
explore a lot. Whenever I read or heard about challenges facing the
youths, I always have the instinct to help. This passion grew more
when I was serving as the Youth Coordinator at Deeper Christian Life
Ministry at Kpedze, Have and Hohoe all in different point in time.
With this, I got closer to them especially the junior youths
(teenagers) which made me learn more from them. Since, I have been
thinking of ways to change the status quo of issues affecting them. On
Wednesday 20th October, 2013 an idea came to start local. Local I mean
to start with the youths from my hometown. On the 30th October, 2013
at 10: 45am, I got in touch with my mentor and coach, Mr. Bismark Tay,
and told him I have a dream. ?Wow a dream?, he asked, ?Tell me. I love
dreams especially when they are good dreams and I know yours is a big
one? he remarked. After narrating my intentions to him, he asked me to
put the idea on paper. Whiles doing that I tried to narrowed the year
range to cover the junior youths (teenagers). The reason being that
there are many youth organisations that focuses mainly on tertiary
students only whom they consider mostly as youths neglecting the
teenagers. So I decided to tackle the age group of 13- 19 years. After
putting the idea on paper and developed it with the help of my mentor,
I got it registered at the Register General’s Department on the 16th
December, 2013. Meanwhile we have our first meeting on 14th December,
2013 to establish the executive team. So that is how it started.
Prince: In starting at a very young age, what was your inspiration?
Divine: What inspired me were the multifarious challenges bedeviling
our teenagers which are spreading their tentacles across the length
and width of the country with its concomitant results such as serious
national security ramification. And also the skyrocketed rate of
teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, poor academical performances and
issues of adolescent reproductive health.
Prince: After discovering this passion, what have being some of the
strategies that you have being exploring to project you to this level?
Divine: As a motivational speaker, I have taken steps that will make
this talent a refined one. Currently I?m into coaching contract with
Mr. Bismark Tay, a trainer with the John C. Maxwell team. I also
attended series of seminars to have more insight and needful to add
that I?m currently undergoing a month course in public speaking. I
have been on many platforms and on series of radio station just to
inspire the youth.
Prince: How has the journey being so far?
Divine: I never expect it to be rosy. It is full of challenges.
However, I see them as breaking grounds to greater achievements.
Prince: Challenges are bound to be there, could you share some of your
challenges with us?
Divine: Some of the challenges include; inadequate volunteers for us
to reach wider number of the teenagers. Some people even find it
difficult to accept this idea with the notion that I am into it for
financial gain. But trust me, very, very far from that. I only want to
change the status quo. But you know what? Just like Albert Einstein ?I
thank all the people who said NO to me. Because of them, I did it
myself?. Getting sponsors and or partners at time is also very
challenging. I will also mention the challenge of team members going
alongside with you. You will at time see some withdrawing. And finally
of course financial constrain. But all in all, these can’t be
obstacles to greater achievements.
Prince: What would you have lost if you hadn?t chosen this path?
Divine: A lot. But most especially, life may not be worth living.
Because I think a purposeless life is not worth living. I thank God I
discovered my passion.
Prince: Can you share with us your achievements so far?
Divine: Thanks. By God?s grace, I have made impact in the life of over
2000 youths over the past 8 years in active youth leadership and by
other means such as school to school talks, publication of articles
and by radio talk programmes. I won?t under estimate this means, the
social media. I receive many testimonies from people about the impact
I?m making in their lives through my posts. Trust me. And you are a
friend on Facebook and can testify to that. I have through my
voluntary works with other Foundations such as BARCAMP and Nneka Youth
Foundation mentored lots of young ones. And the number is still
counting. As the Volta Regional Coordinator for Hallowed Kids
Foundation, I?m working hard for us to have the soon to come
Children?s Republic TV Reality Show and the Regional Youth Icons
Award.? In line with the objectives of OUR Foundation; TEEN AGE BUILD
GH (TAB), together with my hard working team members, we have a
successful launched of the Foundation. We carried out series of
community sensitisation programmes on issues affecting teenagers. Held
summits dubbed, ?Teenagers Empowerment Summit? (TES). Established our
Teenage Girls Empowerment Club (TGEC) in some schools. We are in this
month starting our Spelling Bee and Reading Competition in Ve, Have
and Hohoe. The Foundation has also organised a successful BECE
workshop for the 2014 BECE candidates within the Afadjato South
District in the Volta Region. My team members were taken through
series of team building workshops. As I speak some are undergoing
public speaking course. A lot I will say.
Prince: What has being the impact of such achievements on young people?
Divine: Great, great impacts. Some have made wise decisions in various
sectors of life. When I see some of them that I handled when serving
as a youth coordinator in my church, doing good spiritually, I give
glory to God. I will receive calls from known and unknown persons just
for them to tell me how they have never gave up because of me. The
academicals impact too is there. At College after our End of Semester
Exam papers, I will just hear loud shout of my name, ?STONE!! STONE!!!
Thank you ooo, what I asked you to take me through before the exam
came?. And I?m happy by that. I can recall a night with a fried. After
that evening prep, I called him, got for ourselves some soft drinks,
and sat him down as I offered him some pieces of advice. This was a
guy with a ‘chronic questionable character’ as some described him. He
cried through out our discussion that night. Thank God, a change
finally came. I love him much. As I speak, this guy is having ground
breaking ideas soon to see the light of day. I?m sure you will
interview him also one day. He is just one out of many.
Prince: On this journey, what is the biggest failure you?ve encountered?
Divine: Failure? Not really but I will say I wish I had had sound
financial knowledge earlier. However, thanks to Robert Kiyosaki’s
book, ?Rich Dad, Poor Dad?. It was an eye opener.
Prince: Identifying the social cause you are passionate about, do you
believe Africa can be rebuilt in that perspective?
Divine: Sure!! Very sure. ?He alone, who owns the youths, gains the
future? said by Adolf Hitler. Africa is never poor but just that it is
poorly managed. Mr. Nelson Mandela warned; ?The quality of change in
our society will greatly depend upon the quality of leadership that is
exercised?. We have many things to smile over but we need the right
people to take over and they are the youths, but not just any youth.
Mr. Nelson Mandela again said; ?As future leaders there are certain
responsibilities which we expect you to observe. One of these is
utmost discipline. If you are not disciplined, you can never win our
confidence?. I?m sure the dream I?m so passionate about is a refined
one to produce these disciplined young ones for the future. Remember
?We must not only build the future for the youths but also build them
for the future?. This is the only surest hope for Africa. I?m sure
with this mindset, we can nurture responsible youths to take over the
mantle. I believe in Africa. With the kind of youths that are emerging
in Africa, I have a dream that we will one day be the shining star of
the world if Jesus tarries. Just that time won’t permit me to mention
some of these youths that are poised to make Africa a better place.
Prince: what are your future planned contributions you intend to help
rebuild Africa?
Divine: To quote Mr. Nelson Mandela; ?I hope and vowed then that among
the treasures that life might offer me, would be the opportunity to
serve my people?. My plan to transform this continent is to offer what
I have in terms of youths’ development and my experiences in youth
leadership over the years. Anyway that the opportunity is created, I?m
ready to utilise it.
Prince: What are some of the things we would be seeing you do in the
near future?
Divine: Trust me; I?m going to do a lot in youth development. I will
host a radio/TV programmes that will focus on youths development. Run
a consultancy service in teenagers? development. Launch my books that
I?m currently working on. All in youths/teenagers empowerment and of
course, take my public speaking to greater heights. Honestly, they are
all achievable.
Prince: So many people avoid seeking for help, who would you call on
to help you achieve your dreams?
Divine: I?m calling on all philanthropists and organisations that are
interested in youths/teenagers development to come on board. Their
helps are welcome in either cash or kind. People who will like to
offer their services voluntary with us are highly appreciated. And
surely, even providing the platforms for us to send our messages down
just as you are doing. We will be grateful for any of these and many
other ways.
Prince: Who are the people behind your greatness as mentors and role models?
Divine: I have Mr. Bismark Tay as my mentor and coach. He has helped
brought this vision to this level. My role models are; the late Nelson
Mandela, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, Pastor Mensah Otabil, Komla Dumor, Albet
Ocran, Kwadjo Sarpong Nkrumah, Zig Ziglar and the philosopher;
Aristotle.
Prince: If you should be ranked by Forbes/Time Magazine, what
recognition will you prefer?
Divine: To be considered as a youth activist, a promising social
entrepreneur, an emerging public speaker and MC, upcoming prolific
writer and a hopeful evangelist.
Prince: Any Acknowledgements to some special people?
Divine: Sure, sure. To my team members at TEEN AGE BUILD GHANA, my
mentor and coach Mr. Bismark Tay, family members, our sponsors and
partners for the past months and of course Forbes/Time magazine
especially you Prince. You are also a source of inspiration.
Prince: Your Final Words to young people out there?
Divine: Love and appreciate them all. The sky can?t be the limit when
there are footprints on the moon. We indeed have more rooms for
improvement. To remind them about the quote of Mr. Nelson Mandela,
?The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its
children?. They should keep the dream alive. Thanks for the
opportunity.
