Welcome to the second half of the year! Happy New Month!
The Opportunity Desk crew is pleased to introduce the July Young Person of the Month, Linda Iheme from Nigeria. Linda is an energetic, visionary young woman with passion for healthcare delivery to disadvantaged people. She is a soon-to-be Dentist and a Social entrepreneur with interest in Public Health.
Read on and be inspired to achieve more.
ABOUT LINDA IHEME
![linda_profile[1]](https://opportunitydesk.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/linda_profile1.jpg)
Linda is a 24 year old African woman dedicated to helping others, especially the rural poor. Although she is studying a time-demanding course, Dentistry at University of Benin, Benin City, she commits most of her time to giving free healthcare to rural communities in Nigeria.
For the past four years, Linda has organized volunteers (medical & Dental Students and staff doctors in her University) for different healthcare outreaches ranging from Oral health awareness campaigns, health check-ups for the poor who cannot afford quality healthcare, and blood donation campaigns. She has volunteered for different healthcare NGOs including Raphashands Foundation and Divine Mission to provide free healthcare within and outside Nigeria.
She is currently serving as a consult to a youth-run NGO: Charles Loto Healthcare Development and research Organization which is involved with providing free healthcare to the poor. Her interest for Public health is tremendous.
Current Efforts
One of her latest projects, #LunchWithLindaIheme is a Facebook photo contest with the aim of promoting creativity among youth people. It has the awesome reward of free dental check-up, Lunch with Linda, one on one inspirational talk and a package of goodies for the winners.
After participating in The Study of the U.S Institute on Social Entrepreneurship in USA, Linda came back to Nigeria, secured funds from Ashoka’s Youth Venture and founded an NGO called International Initiative For Youths Inspiration, Growth And Development (IIF YIGAD). IIF YIGAD focuses on youth leadership and social entrepreneurship through which she gives motivational speeches to high school and University students. She has spoken at several seminars and conferences.
Awards
Linda has been a recipient of several awards right from her high school days when she emerged the ‘Overall Best Graduating Student’ in 2006 from the Government Girls Science Senior Secondary School, Kuje, Abuja.
To support her college education, Linda became received the 2009 Federal Government Scholarship Award (Nigeria), the Agbami Scholarship Award in 2011, the Anofi & Grace Guobadia Foundation Scholarship Award in 2012 and the Reverend Tony Akinyemi Scholarship Award in 2012.
Her outstanding leadership service and academic achievements won her the Top35-Under35CEO Award in 2013 and the recent conferment as the Female Scholar of the Year (2014) by the Benin University Dental Students Association.
Final Words for Young People
Linda says, “It is one thing to preach and another to practice what you preach. Changing the world is a huge task! But wait, don’t rush! For a start, Change Yourself!”
For more information about Linda Iheme, please visit her on Facebook, connect with her on Twitter.
If you missed the opportunity to join the Live Facebook Chat with Linda, please visit YPOM July 2014.
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