IM: (Identities Media)
ANK: (Anita Nchat Kevin)
IM: Tell us about yourself.
ANK: I have 13 years teaching experience in early years foundation stage and specializes in working with children who experience learning difficulties. In 2010, I started a research on dyslexia, which lead me to design a 4-hour school system that has improved the learning abilities of about 900 dyslexics.
I founded Amina Dyslexia Center to continue helping individuals with learning difficulties. In 2020, I was accepted into the Donors for Africa Social Impact Bootcamp, through this I learnt business management skills which helped Amina Dyslexia Center to win a spot as one of the 10 contestants at the 2021 Donors for Africa Pitch competition and a Genius Within award in celebration of the 2021 Neurodiversity week as the Most Inclusive Education Provider.
Among associates, friends and family, I am known as the sound counsel on children’s education and I am working hard to make this a nation-wide recognition. I would like to be remembered for giving dyslexics a chance at learning.
IM: What makes you wake up in the morning?
ANK: From my work experience and knowledge of my community I observed that illiterates are created by an indifference towards learning, which is worrisome because it increases poverty, poor health status, ethnic and social tensions, it also breeds dangerous and destructive citizens.
My desire to see dyslexics receive quality education and illiteracy as caused by dyslexia is totally eliminated in my country keeps me up at night.
IM: What does being part of the ‘Top 10 Finalists in the Donors for Africa’s Social Innovators Bootcamp’ mean to you?
ANK: The Donors for Africa program helped improve my Fundraising, Marketing, Team Development and overall entrepreneurship skills. My participation in the program gave me access to experienced coaches and experts on whose practical knowledge and experience, I leveraged on to improve my business processes as well as plan to avoid errors that might lead to losses in my venture.
Being a part of the program gave me access to a network of entrepreneurs especially those in the education sector from whom I gained ideas and knowledge on ways to improve my customer interactions and satisfy the users of my services.
IM: What do you see in the near future after this?
ANK: My work and long-term career goal is to improve the learning abilities of people with dyslexia. In the next 5 years, Amina Dyslexia Center will be replicated in every state of Nigeria. These branches will be equipped to train certified dyslexia specialist to provide the needed services in every state in Nigeria. This way the number of children who drop out of school because of their inability to learn will be greatly reduced.
IM : What are your parting words or advice for the next class and Africa at large?
ANK: Entrepreneurship enables you to utilize your creativity to solve societal problems and the Donors for Africa program sharpens this creativity and gives it a multiplying effect.
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