Adepeju can be reached on Twitter [ @ibafighter ]
1. What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?
I can hang out with any type of person so long you are peaceful person and are not lazy.
2. What do you do?
I am the founder and executive director of the only youth-led malaria focused organization in Africa called The Iba – Malaria Eradication Foundation.
3. Why do you do what you do?
I founded the organization because of my personal experience with the disease while growing up. I missed some of my primary school education because of the disease.
4. Is this where you thought you would end up?
Though I studied Forest Resource Management, I had no idea I would be doing this but they say passion and ideas evolve and I think I have not ended yet. This is only the beginning. There are plenty challenges to solve in the world.
5. What values are you committed to?
My values are hard work, selfless service, ingenuity, ambition and adjustment.
6. How many hours do you work in a typical week?
I am my own boss so I can work at any time or period of the day. Typically, 8am – 12:00 midnight everyday but with a lot of breaks and very serious moments so it is pretty difficult to calculate.
7. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?
You need to be up there with your innovation skills and ability to do not only more than local organizations but also international organizations despite your lean budget and all the factors associated with running a start-up in a developing country. You also have to be flexible and teachable.
8. Are there any negatives to your job?
Malaria has been around for so long that you need to battle with that perception by innovating to combat malaria and constantly implementing projects, in order to give your organization visibility, a chance to survive and be reckoned with.
9. What do you wish you knew at our stage? (IE: Entry-level SBCC practitioners)
I wished I knew that promoting social change through communication is not a one-day job and an organization needs to consistently promote behavioural change messages. I also wish I knew the relevance of technology and how to integrate it into our work.
10. What is the best piece of professional advice you've ever received -- and used or implemented?
"Don’t give up whatever the situation is," and I guess I am using it well.
11. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
I would apply to study social work with special concentration on public health at the Bsc level.
12. What should keep entry-level SBCC enthusiasts up at night?
The fact that your actions, innovations and interventions can save a life anywhere should be enough reason.
13. What professional organizations are you associated with, and in what ways?
I have partnered with so many, both local and foreign based and I have a mentorship and working partnership with some of them.
14. What mistakes have you made?
I wasn’t too tactical about my plans to start up my own organization hence I lost my job several times.
15. What one thing do you still struggle with?
I don’t know how to give myself adequate rest. I find people close to me warning me several times about how I “use” myself.
16. What are the top 7 technical skills that entry-level SBCC enthusiasts should strive to horn?
- Research
- Innovativeness
- Adaptability
- Inquisitiveness
- Analytical mind
- Open mindedness
- Partnership/Collaboration
17. Considering all the people you have met in your line of work, what personal attributes are essential for success?
Perseverance and you must possess the strength and ability to stay on your lane.
18. What's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?
Be a risk taker, experiment and be very tactical.
19. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?
Ability to run a start-up successfully, and not just a start up but one that is saving lives.
20. What developments in the horizon could affect future career opportunities in this field?
If a cure to malaria is found, it definitely will affect our organization but we are a team of young, efficient and capable people.
21. As a communicator, if you could write a book on a social issue; what would it be and why?
I would write a malaria comic book and that’s because it is my area of focus. By the way, I am about to publish one.
22. What's the most valuable question we should ask the next SBCC maven who is interviewed on this blog?
How do you communicate change to a people with strong cultural and religious bias?
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