Part 5: What C4AIK Journey Cost Me: The Sacrifice Behind C4AIK

Building C4AIK has not been easy. From the beginning, many people assumed that it was a money-making venture. Some opposed it, while others hoped to benefit financially from it. When they realised that the work was costing me my personal funds, many began to withdraw from what they had expected to gain while some mocked me.

The financial cost of FIDAF

The first FIDAF tournament cost me a great deal. After we had finalised arrangements with the venue owners, and on the opening day—when all the teams were lined up for the opening ceremony—I was told there had been a mistake in the rental calculation.

The amount paid for eight days was now said to be actually the cost of only two days. I had already told everyone that the tournament would last eight days. We could either hold the opening ceremony and leave, or find another solution. I used my personal money to secure another facility for the remaining six days and planned for us to host the final day at that venue to make up for the two days, so the opening and closing ceremonies could remain meaningful and colourful.

Because of the calibre of the participating organisations, vendors sometimes inflate their prices or make new demands when they see the teams arrive on opening day. This means I remain exposed to increased and unbudgeted costs after the tournament has already begun. Very often, those costs come directly from my pocket.

The expectations surrounding INGOsphere9ja

With INGOsphere9ja, the challenge has often been people expecting me to give them jobs. Some trainees assumed that I was connected enough to speak to anyone in the sector and immediately secure their dream job.

When I explained that I do not work that way, and that I choose to respect professional relationships according to the platform through which I met people, some took offence. If someone they knew obtained a job after attending my training, they sometimes assumed I had done extra work for that person and not for them.

These experiences taught me that helping people also requires helping them understand the difference between training, professional preparation and personal connections. I do not promise jobs. I help people recognise their strengths, address knowledge gaps and compete more effectively through their own efforts.

The cost of learning from people

One of the greatest challenges has been learning to understand people. Over the years, I have interacted with professionals from different cultures, mindsets and social backgrounds.

Some experiences humbled me and taught me patience and tolerance. Others challenged me to reach the next level of knowledge because they always wanted to know more.

I have continued learning every day, and my training has evolved with the people I serve. My training modules hardly remain exactly the same for each topic. Someone who attended a session years ago may have a different experience from someone who attends the same topic later, because the content continues to evolve.

This evolution led to the creation of my online programme, with diverse courses that can meet trainees’ hunger for knowledge. When people come for CV reviews, they often discover knowledge gaps and wonder where they can obtain the right training. The online programme gives them an adaptive learning platform connected to what recruiters expect applicants to know and be able to do.

The demands of Marketsphere9ja

Marketsphere9ja was also a lot to handle. When people heard that it focused on the INGO and development sector, they assumed there must be a great deal of money available for the programme. The cost of managing those expectations and guiding people towards a better understanding was often borne by me personally.

The programme required personal commitment, time, coordination and financial investment. It was not sustained by a large funding arrangement. It grew because I believed that the public deserved clearer information about the work of NGOs and development organisations.

What the journey gave me

Despite the cost, this journey has made me a better person. I have met people who supported me in important ways.

Through Marketsphere9ja, the former manager of Garki International Market introduced me to Rotary.

FIDAF gave me a family of people who have been kind and supportive whenever I needed advice or counsel. Committee members gave their time to participate in decision-making, even while managing their own work and responsibilities.

INGOsphere9ja has also given me trainees who believe in me and support the vision. Their progress, encouragement and continued hunger for knowledge remind me that the sacrifice has meaning.

The price of passion

The journey has cost me money, time, comfort, emotional energy and, at times, the understanding of people who expected something different from what I was offering.

But it has also given me growth, friendships, lessons, purpose and the privilege of seeing people use knowledge to change their lives.

C4AIK was not built from excess resources. It was built from conviction, personal sacrifice and a belief that information and knowledge can contribute to sustainable positive impact.

C4AIK currently serves as the umbrella organization under which I can coordinate all my initiatives as unique program services focused on providing information and knowledge. It does not directly generate or receive funds; each initiative operates through its own approved service, partnership, or support arrangement.

That is what the journey has cost me—and what it has given me in return.