I was at AFFORD's Annual event AD3 (Africa Diaspora and Development Day) which took the theme "Africa's Population Growth and Youth Unemployment" (AFFORD is the African Foundation for Development). During a conversation afterwards I was asked for more information about Dadamac and our related interests, which I share below:
Dadamac connects people to each other and helps them to communicate and collaborate. It started with some friendships. Thanks to the Internet it's possible for friendships, and practical collaborations, to be sustained at a distance. Dadamac emerged through a combination of UK-Africa connections - personal connections and Internet-enabled ones.
My personal involvement with Nigeria came about through the late Peter Adetunji Oyawale. Then I met John Dada (a Nigerian who, like Peter, lived in the UK for several years, but John moved back to Nigeria.) John Dada is director of Fantsuam Foundation and he helped David Mutua and me as we tried to continue aspects of Peter's work. In 2004 I was able to help John (by doing Teachers Talking for him) and Dadamac began to emerge. It continues to develop, grow and change shape.
I said I would give information about John's interest in youth unemployment. John is a man of big vision, and a long journey of many small steps (more about John Dada)
These are the ideas that we were rubbing minds on in October 2013 - Dadamac Knowledge Centre - Learning for Livelihoods
These are a couple of 5 minute videos to introduce you to John
- Fantsuam Foundation - made 2008 - includes good overview and photos (This was arranged during one of my visits, so if you're very observant you might notice me working in the Knowledge Resource Centre)
- November 2013 John speaking about the importance of the Internet - http://www.dadamac.net/dadamac_org/index.html
You might also be interested in another group that I run (within GlobalNet21) which is building connections between UK and Africa. The next meeting is on July 16th.
John will be back in the UK in January 2014 and Dadamac will be arranging an event in collaboration with GlobalNet21 and Impact Hub Westminster to share some of John's work at Fantsuam, and to explore ways to replicate and increase some of the initiatives that are being pioneered at Fantsuam.