"I am a Survivor"- Ijeoma Sorochi-Okorie

Coming from an incredibly odious background with little or no hope of survival, Ijeoma Sorochi-Okorie is one amazing woman that waded through numerous hurdles but has today assumed a Star-Status both nationally and internationally. She is today the Founder of Teenz Global Foundation and Co-founder of Open Community Schools and Network. She is also a Media and Development Specialist with over five years’ experience of working directly with children and young people.

Her astonishing journey started weeks before she was born due to the fact that her parents had an unstable relationship and were separated before her arrival. Her words, “Growing up was not fun for me. It was a very turbulent experience that I wish no child should go through. The fact that my parents had issues and were separated before I was born left me in an unstable state with little or no care.”

“I experienced verbal, emotional and psychological abuse as a child. Child maltreatment and battering was norm for me. This almost affected my self-esteem but I am grateful to God that I was able to make decisions to become an asset to my Nation. How it happened, I don’t know but I did know that as a little girl of age 10, I was determined to be a Success in life in spite of all odds.”

She admits that what helped her wade through the storm were her life skills.

With her decision-making ability, she believed that she could go to school, gain knowledge and skills, access limitless opportunities and reach her potentials in life. At age 17, she started working with Children and Young people, especially girls within her community to help them build life skills. She was inspired by her experience to create a platform (Teenz Tym) for young people to express themselves on social issues hampering their positive growth to get required help. She founded Teenz Global Foundation during her final year at the University at Age 20.

Asked what her childhood experience of abuse has taught Ijeoma says, “You can only become what you can see, not what your environment says you will be.”
Ijeoma upholds that the greatest challenge of a victim of abuse is low self-esteem and warns that “there is no reason or justification to maltreat or torture a child to a near death experience; hence caregivers need to stop maltreating their wards, especially in Africa.” This she says is because “many dreams are killed before such a child grows up to be able to make proper decisions.”

While urging parents/guardians to “create a conducive environment for their children to grow and have access to basic rights such as quality education, good health and food without fear, battering or verbal war”, she also wants government to “enact and enforce laws that prohibit child abuse in our society such that perpetrators will be sanctioned.”

She equally charged young girls, women and indeed everyone currently suffering one form of abuse or the other to be daring and determined to succeed. “Be daring!!! There is always light at the end of the tunnel if you are determined to make right decisions. So, do not let the challenges of today deprive you of tomorrow’s achievements and success.”

How amazingly true that today, this Amazon from Ebonyi State is an icon with towering and enviable achievements. She was recognized as a Young African Leader (YALI) and 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow by President Barrack Obama.

Ijeoma holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language from the University of Abuja and a Certificate in Civic Leadership from University of Delaware, USA. She is a Certified Oracle Database Administrator Associate and Professional and a Graduate of Basic Presentation Course from the National Broadcasting Academy (FRCN Training school, Lagos).