news – Gertrude says……

Hey everyone!
So today’s post is quite personal and emotional as well!

As I wrap up 2024, I am putting an end to my volunteering engagements or more like being an active activist – this does not necessarily mean I have stopped caring about global issues or adding my voice to these issues, just that I would take a backseat and rather create more impact with my newly founded initiative, Global Activists Network.

I actively started volunteering in January 2017 with the ONE Campaign UK shortly after I completed uni at the University of Leeds in 2016. I remember gaining interest within international development in my final year after attending a Careers Talk delivered by the EU, UN & FCDO at my university. I was sure I didn’t want to work in finance or in the ‘Economics’ field (as I was pursuing a degree in Economics) so I wanted to try out something new or more impactful and working within the international development sector sounded ideal. So, I started searching for opportunities, then I came across the ONE Campaign UK’s call for youth ambassadors and applied, unfortunately my application was unsuccessful in 2016. However, I did not give up, I applied again a year later and got accepted in 2017 and that was the beginning of an incredible journey of impact!

For the past seven years, I have had the incredible opportunity to be part of impactful campaigns, gained advocacy experience, lobbied MPs and world leaders, worked with several advocacy & international organisations, travelled through my work as an activist, improved my public speaking skills, won awards and been shortlisted for some, overcome challenges, learned lessons and become a better activist and person who has now transitioned to become a leader within international development as the Co-Founder & Executive Director of Global Activists Network – which I will shed more light in a bit.

For now, I would like to share my journey with you in pictures – hopefully that inspires you to take action and go for whatever it is you want to do.

**At the Youth Assembly at the UN Headquarters in February 2017, New York**

**My first lobbying experience with Theresa Griffin at the European Parliament, Brussels where we spoke about the Poverty is Sexist Campaign in October 2017**

**Meeting my local MP, Richard Burgon, in October 2017 for the first time and talking to him about the Poverty is Sexist campaign by the ONE Campaign**

**I collaborated with Restless Development for their Youth STOP AIDS Campaign in March 2018. This was me in Parliament with other youth activists adding our voice to ending AIDS by 2030**

**With David Cameron (former UK Prime Minister) & fellow ONE activists in January 2018 at the Chatham house in London for a seminar**

**With Rachel Reeves, Leeds West MP & the now Chancellor of the Exchequer in November 2021, where we spoke about UK’s commitment to ending the climate crisis leading up to COP 26 in Glasgow in 2021**

With Richard Burgon, Leeds East MP when I lobbied him about the Global Fund Campaign in August 2022. This experience also landed me a newspaper feature in my local newspaper here and Best in MP Advocacy Award from ONE UK

**With Hilary Benn (Leeds Central MP) at the East Africa Cannot Wait Campaign Lobby Day in Parliament in February 2023**

**Spoke at the UN SDSN GIF in March 2023 on the topic ‘Extreme Poverty’ alongside other activists**

By far one of my biggest achievements when I handed a petition at No.10 on behalf of 174,000 ONE supporters to convince the then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak to attend the Global Financial Pact Summit in June 2023

**Met with the winners of the Michael Elliot Award for Excellence in African Storytelling in June 2023 – a true inspiration!**

**Spoke at the Results UK National Conference in July 2023 on the topic ‘The Power in Youth Voices’**

**Did my first Twitter TakeOver on the International Youth Day in August 2023 where I spoke about my climate activism journey**

**Another BIG moment – I was invited by the Gates Foundation for the annual Goalkeepers in New York in September 2023 – a testament to my impact in activism – officially a Goalkeeper**

**Met the Minister of Energy Security, Graham Stuart, in September 2023, to discuss UK’s commitment towards climate financing pre COP 28**

**With my MP, Richard Burgon, where we spoke about the In Donor Refugee Costs Campaign in October 2023**

**At the Westminster Awards in Parliament in November 2023 to honour changemakers in the UK**

**At the last ONE UK Activists Residential in May 2024 – one of the highlights of the programme for me! Always excited to reconnect and meet new activists**

**Met with the new ONE CEO & President, Ndidi Nwuneli Okonkwo, in June 2024 – welcoming her to the UK**

**Represented ONE UK at the Results UK Summer Gathering in June 2024 where we participated in discussions on diverse global issues**

**Attended an election hustings in June 2024 for the first time and got the opportunity to hear from prospective candidates – refreshing!**

Got the opportunity to be on BBC Question Time in July 2024 to hear from reps from major political parties a day after the election and an opportunity to ask my question and get interviewed by the BBC team afterwards

**Joined Hungry for Action & fellow ONE Activists in July 2024 to distribute empty plates to Londoners as part of the #EmptyPlates Campaign**

**Receiving my Certificate of Achievement as a Community Leader (at the end the programme) from the CEO & President of ONE, Ndidi Nwuneli-Okonkwo & UK Executive Director, Adrian Lovett in November 2024**

**Through ONE, I got the opportunity to take a course on Official Development Assistance in November 2024 sponsored by One Young World & Gates Foundation – THANK YOU ONE!**

These pictures tell part of the story, but not the full story. I have also had the exclusive opportunity to volunteer with other organisations and attended events such as;

Delegate of the first ever World Congress on Undergraduate Research, Women Ambassadors Forum Participant, Research Assistant for Ninos de Guatemala (UN Online Volunteering), Proofreader & Editor for CAUX – Initiative of Change Foundation (UN Online Volunteering), Editor & Proofreader for UNDP Asia (UN Online Volunteering), Content Creator for Love & Care for People Worldwide (UN Online Volunteering), Charity Apprentice participant for Child.Org, Amnesty International Speaker Programme participant & also got featured on their Suffragette Spirit Campaign Map, Bradford Counselling Services Trustee, EU Russia Student Conference Delegate, Future Leaders Network Annual Conference Participant, Project Manager and Fundraising Advisor for Cameroon Association of Active Youths (UN Online Volunteering), Future Leaders Network Y7 #At the Table Ambassador, Grants Writer & Researcher for Community Development and Sustainability Organization (UN Online Volunteering), Editor for UNICEF (UN Online Volunteering), African ChangeMakers Initiative Fellow, World Bank Youth Summit Delegate, AFS Youth Assembly Ambassador, AFS Global Competence Certificate Program, Potentialife Leadership Program, ONE Young World Volunteer, United Nations System Staff College Social Protection Ambassador, EFL Tutor with Angloville, Global Schools Program Panelist, Local Pathways Fellow with UN SDSN, Review Panelist with United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), Junior Research Fellow with European Institute of Policy Research and Human Rights (EIPRHR), Speaker at IRUKA’s session on ‘How to be an Effective Changemaker’, UK Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women, Their World Global Youth Ambassador, Nurturing Talent Mentoring Scheme Mentor, Storytelling Fellow with 50 Percent, Inspire Her Afrika Mentor, Social Media Ambassador with Global Landscapes Forum, Speaker at WACUNA UK Board Meeting, Jury Member for African Caribbean Sustainability and Investment Summit (ACSIS), Doha Youth Forum & Doha Forum Participant.

Okayyy! Like did I really do all that? Pheww! I definitely deserve a BREAK!

Looking back, I can say this 7 year journey (almost 8 years) has definitely been worth it – it has not paid off monetarily (I wish it did sometimes) but I have forged connections, created memories and travelled owing to some of these opportunities and I will never take them for granted. On the other hand, there were burnouts and times where campaigns did not yield the impact or intended outcome which sometimes made me feel like giving up but I did not.

Also, whilst doing all these, I found myself applying for jobs to tons of organisations including some of these organisations I actively volunteered for and guess what? I was rejected – LOL! The more we live, the more we learn! My takeaway from this is, it is all good – there is a reason God does not want me to be there and BOY! Valid reasons…I do not even want to work for them actually currently. I am thankful for the volunteering experience and that is it!

Moving forward, I am going to be focusing on my not for profit initiative which I co-founded earlier this year, Global Activists Network which seeks to platform and provide the necessary support for grassroots activists all over the globe! I look forward to applying the skills gained all over the years being an active activist and campaigner to this organisation and establish it to become one of the best youth and SDGs focused organisations out there.

I am also going to focus on establishing my career (high paying roles & consultancy jobs with charities or NGOs) and dedicating myself to getting into prestigious programs that will accelerate my career further and create more impact. The only volunteering I will be focused on is my not for profit, Global Activists Network. Anything else ranging from speaking, consulting or being a board/advisory member HAS to be paid because I have built myself so much and invested in myself to get here and of course volunteered for years. I am not willing and available to offer these services for free anymore. My email is: asumadugertrude@yahoo.com (serious enquiries only!)

Lastly, if you are a young person who wants to get into any sector at all (not just international affairs), learn to serve – or volunteer in other words. It can suck (I know that feeling) but get the experience you want and build yourself to the point where you don’t have to do so anymore. It doesn’t have to be 7 years like me but you decide when you feel you have equipped yourself enough not to offer your services for free anymore. If you ask any professional you admire and they are very honest with you, they will tell you they had to volunteer at some point in their careers especially at the beginning so never see it as a waste of time, more like a preparation period. You will WIN if you take in the good out of all the experiences and become an expert in some years time.

I am super excited to see what the future holds – I know it is BEAUTIFUL. I just want to thank everyone who has rocked this journey with me and all the organisations who created these programmes which gave me the opportunity to gain these experiences, learn and hone new and existing skills and create impact! God bless you all – you are all part of my STORY. I plan to tell this a bit more in detail soon! (Stay tuned!)

I hope this has inspired someone – you too can be a CHANGEMAKER just like me.

See you soon for the last blog post of the year!

Exactly a week ago, I received one of the most shocking notifications on my phone ever – “Former One Direction star, Liam Payne dies at 31“. I was shocked! I thought it was a prank but who would joke with something like that – like death?

I have been deeply saddened by this news – this would be the 3rd or 4th death of a famous person that has had much impact on me. The first one would have to be that of the late Ghanaian actress, Suzzy Williams who passed on at a young age of 23. I was 12 when she died and I still have memories of how much the news traumatized me – maybe because a newspaper thought it wise to put the picture of her corpse lying in state on their front page (proper journalism in the gutter!)

Now, Liam’s death has been shrouded in a lot of controversy – from having issues with his ex-girlfriend/fiancée to battling with depression and suffering from addiction and so on. The media obviously doesn’t care! Apart from his celebrity status, this is someone’s child, sibling and father as well. All the speculations, rumours and what not is needless at this point – let the family and those who loved him grieve in peace. One of his sisters even mentioned how she heard the news online. How pathetic!

I was not really a fan of One Direction and never paid attention to them even though I live in the UK (they were hot and popular in 2012 when I first moved here). But I started following them around late 2015 when they performed on the X Factor final (which was their last performance together) where they announced they were going on a hiatus. So I only started paying attention to them then. Interesting right?

I did not have a favourite – I liked all of them and found myself watching all their music videos, interviews, performances and LOVED them! My favourite album of theirs is FOUR – which was the last album they did with ex band mate, Zayn Malik who left the band in early 2015.

Now, Liam’s death is as a result of him jumping from the 3rd floor of the hotel he was lodging at in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Allegedly, at the time of his death, he was acting erratically in the hotel lobby and the jump was allegedly done in an unconscious state and this was as a result of some drugs he had taken (according to the toxicology report, some drugs were found in his system).

In some of his previous interviews that have surfaced online, he talks about his addiction with alcohol (in the beginning of his One Direction days) as the hotel room he lodged at had a mini bar (SMH). He also allegedly has been in and out of rehab both in the UK and California, US in the past couple of years due to his drug addiction – quite unfortunate.

I can imagine the depression and lonely moments he may have felt from his days in One Direction to being a solo artiste and the struggle to make it (having your song or album at No.1 on the charts etc) – the pressure I believe was insane! And obviously the so-called fans don’t make it easier with the unnecessary comparisons on which of the bandmates is doing better or more successful and all that. Like who are you to define what success is to someone? And why do you feel the need to compare solo artistes doing their own thing? What do you hope to gain from that and all the mean comments that your post will generate? Do you know that apart from being a celebrity, they are also human beings with emotions like yourself and your comment can send them into depression?

I absolutely hate what fame subjects people to, especially someone like Liam who found fame at the tender age of 16 on X Factor. I even read how he was recently bullied on socials because of claims made by his ex fiancee among others and his record label dropping him not too long ago. This must have weighed a lot on him, sunk him into depression and look at the consequences.

I have not been famous before and don’t have any intentions of being (I love my private life) because I hate how it robs one of their freedom and sometimes their real personality and the terrible choices they make eventually. Liam’s death, whichever way you look at it, could have been avoided. The world was unkind to him and he fought his demons (being in and out of rehab means he was seeking help and wanted to become a better person not only for himself but his son, Bear) but unfortunately he lost the battle. Sigh!

I will say it again and again that this world is a CRUEL place and famous or not, you need to guard your mental health with all your might. Anything that threatens it, you should let that go immediately. And I wish celebrities can also take breaks especially on social media, be more aware of their mental health and seek help when needed, and be surrounded by family and friends who ACTUALLY love them. The ‘love’ these fans claim they have for you are fleeting – tomorrow, someone else will be hot and they will transfer that ‘love’ to them and won’t give a hoot about you. They will join forces to drag you, taint your name with the news the media feeds them – which is mostly false or exaggerated.

Fame is a drug and when it gets to one’s head it could be extremely dangerous. For those who have friends or siblings who are famous, I hope you constantly check up on them and reassure them that you are always there for them regardless. And I hope you are not or do not become a keypad warrior or a troll on social media – it is a demonic spirit – get rid of it!

And to THE MEDIA – one of the biggest enemies we have in the world! How could you not let his family know of his death before breaking the news online? How could you post pictures of his dead body online? Just for clicks and money? Yall have lost your sense of humanity and may God forgive you all!

I can only imagine the pain Liam’s family, especially his parents are going through and I pray God comforts them.

Dear Liam, I hope you are resting in peace now. Thank you for fighting to still be here. Thank you for sharing your talent with us and thank you for the memories you gave millions of fans all over the world in their teenage years. Rest in perfect peace. Till we meet again 🙂

Thank you for reading today’s post. See you soon with another!

Tag: news

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