AI-Use Confirmation
1
Age
15
Contact Phone Number
+234 706 819 9047
Are you an "Ashoka Young Changemaker" or a a certified "Youth Venturer"??
No
I know who I am, I feel like I belong.
7
I believe I can do things to make my community better.
9
I think of myself as a "civic leader" who works to make my community better.
9
I believe I can be a leader.
9
I can get my friends, family and/or other people around me to help with a project or cause I care about.
8
Changemaker Pronouns
He/Him
I see myself as someone who takes action to make my community better.
9
I understand what other people in my community are going through, even if their lives are different from mine.
10
Needs consent
Yes
Consent received
Yes
Country of Residence
Nigeria
Where do you live in:
Suburban Community
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
My project was born from my own experience. I graduated from high school on 24 July 2026, excited about the future but without a serious plan for the months ahead. Since I could not yet enter university, I imagined spending my time playing games and scrolling through TikTok, Instagram and other platforms. A week after graduation, my parents asked me to start learning automotive and power-bike repair and refurbishment at a workshop. I was not happy about it, but I obeyed. The first three days were boring and wished to stop. Then, on the fourth day, something changed. I became busy, started understanding what I was doing and began to enjoy it. That was my “aha!” moment. I realized that the same time I could spend endlessly scrolling for entertainment could be used to learn useful skills. My craving for entertainment scrolling gradually reduced, and I began using my phone to research car parts, maintenance and power bikes. I started thinking seriously about my future and realized that other young people could also benefit from turning screen time into learning time. Today, I learn automotive and power-bike repair Monday to Saturday and audio-visual technology and event production on Sundays. This experience inspired Scrolling to Skills—an idea to encourage young people to move from passive scrolling to learning, creating, building and preparing for their future.
Have you ever entered a previous Ashoka challenge?
No
How did you hear about this challenge?
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
Because my project is still at the idea stage, I have not yet formally engaged a large number of people. However, I have talked to my friends and co-apprentices, David Joseph and Henry Chidera who are interested and are learning skills as well. I engaged them by explaining my idea to them in a simple way and show them why I believe it is important. I hope to engage more young people later as the project starts, I will talk about social media time scrolling which can be used to learn a skill that could improve their lives. I will encourage them to share their own ideas and skills, rather than making the project only about my ideas. Some can help create social media content, others can help with reaching students, sharing information, organizing activities or connecting us with people who can teach useful skills. I will also encourage them by showing them that they can benefit from being part of the project. They will have an opportunity to learn from skilled people, develop leadership and teamwork skills, and help other young people discover their abilities. As the project grows, I hope to involve more teenagers, schools, youth groups, skilled workers and organizations. I want the people who join us to become ambassadors of the idea and encourage other young people to move from simply scrolling and watching to learning, creating and developing useful skills.
How many people are on your team?
3
I confirm that the applicant is between 5 and 20 years old on January 31, 2027 (the application deadline).
Yes
I am not an employee of Ashoka, or an immediate family member of an Ashoka employee.
Yes
I am not an employee of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, or an immediate family member of an employee of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.
Yes
I live in the United States (US) or a U.S. Territory, South Africa (ZA), Nigeria (NG) or Kenya (KE).
Yes
I understand that if the applicant is under 13 (United States or U.S. Territory) or under 18 (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa) at the time of submission, a parent or legal guardian must give consent before this application can be considered.
Yes
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
My project is still at an early stage, so I have not reached people through the project yet. My first goal is to reach at least 50 students and young people within six months and 100 or more within the first year. I want the impact to be more than just talking to young people about skills. I want them to actually become interested in learning a skill and take the first step towards learning one. During our programs, we will share real stories of successful Nigerian men and women who started with skills, worked hard and built something meaningful. I believe these stories can help young people see that success is not only about becoming a celebrity or showing wealth on social media. We will measure our impact by keeping records of the students we reach, the skills they are interested in, and how many decide to start learning a skill after our programs. We will also follow up with some of them to find out what they have learned and how they are using their skills. I want young people to understand that learning a skill does not mean giving up education. They can go to school and still learn a practical skill that can help them become creative, useful and self-reliant. If this project grows, my bigger goal is to help more young people discover their abilities, learn practical skills and use those skills to create opportunities for themselves and others.
Full Name
Okalekwo Hannah
Phone Number
+234 706 819 9047
Relationship to Applicant
Mother
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Idea (We’re hoping to get started in the future)
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Scrolling to skills encourage Secondary School students and other teenagers to turn excessive screen time into time of learning skills that will help shape a productive future.
Project title
From scrolling to skills - Uplifting Knowledge and Entrepreneurship
Full Name
Okalekwo Hannah
Phone Number
+234 7068199047
Relationship to Applicant
Mother
Full Name
James Ojonimi Victor
Phone Number
+234 8130645204
Relationship to Applicant
Personal Teacher and mentor
Full Name
Edem Edet
Phone Number
+234 8140600504
Relationship to Applicant
Teacher
Referral: If you discovered the Challenge thanks to an organization or person other than Ashoka or the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, who was it?
School Grade
N/A
School Name
N/A
SMS Opt-In
1
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
In Nigeria, many young people spend a lot of time on their phones mainly for entertainment. We see celebrities and influencers showing expensive cars, clothes and lifestyles, but we often do not see the hard work, skills or real story behind their success. This makes some young people believe that becoming rich quickly is the most important thing and expose them to bad influences, scams and other harmful choices i.e yahoo boys. I became interested in this problem because of what happened to me after secondary school. Before I started learning a skill, I was already planning to spend my free time playing games and scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. Then I started learning automotive and power-bike repair. I discovered that the CEO of the workshop is a popular Nigerian drifter with many followers, but behind his social-media image he is also a hardworking person who earns honestly through his skills. I also see a problem where young people finish school expecting to find formal jobs, even though there are not enough jobs for everyone. Without practical skills, most of them struggle to create opportunities for themselves or even go into crime. This matters to me because skills can give young people another path. A young person who learns a useful skill can become self-reliant, start a business, employ others and contribute to reducing poverty.
This is a youth-led project – this initiative is led by someone aged 20 or younger.
Yes
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
https://www.instagram.com/scrolling_to_skills?stkn=dGMxNGRwbWFvaWhh
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
My project is still at the idea stage, so my first step over the next three months is to start small and build from what I have. I will use social media platforms such as Tik Tok, and Instagram to create awareness about the importance of learning practical skills. I will share stories of successful Nigerians, such as Aliko Dangote, Vicky James and Funke Akindele e.t.c, focusing not only on their success but also on the hard work, skills, challenges and persistence behind their journeys. I will also work with my friends, David Joseph and Chidera Henry, to create simple posts that teenagers can relate to. We will ask other young people what skills they are interested in learning and use their responses to improve the project. Since we do not currently have the money to visit schools, our first activities will be online. At the same time, we will identify schools, youth groups, worship centers, skilled people and organizations that may be willing to partner with us when we are ready to begin face-to-face activities. If I am fortunate enough to receive the Challenge funding, I will use part of it to support the project. My goal over the next few months is to move from an idea to a small working project, learn from the young people we reach, and then grow it step by step.
Whose phone number is this?
parent_or_guardian
Date of Birth
2010-11-06
First Name
Abraham
Last Name
Okalekwo
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
I honestly do not know if there is another project exactly like mine, but I know why I want to start it. I am a teenager myself, and I understand how easy it is for young people to spend hours scrolling through social media and comparing their lives with what they see online. I discovered the importance of learning practical skills early, and I want other teenagers to have the same opportunity. What makes my project different is that it is being created from a young person's point of view, for other young people. Instead of only telling teenagers to stop using their phones, I want to show them a better way to use their time. Social media will become part of the solution by sharing stories, skills and opportunities that can inspire young people to learn. I also want to combine online awareness with face-to-face activities in schools and worship centers. We will bring successful people, skilled workers, entrepreneurs and companies closer to young people so they can hear real stories about how they started, the challenges they faced and the skills that helped them. Another important part is taking the next step beyond awareness. Where possible, we will connect young people who are interested in learning skills with people or organizations that can provide training or sponsorship, especially for those who cannot afford it. My project is not about telling young people to choose skills instead of education. It is about showing them that they can do both. I want to help change the way teenagers think about their time, talents and future—from only watching other people's success to developing skills that can help them create their own opportunities. This will help promote entrepreneurship, reduce crime and poverty in my community.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
How I want to solve the problem is to help teenagers and young people move from just scrolling on social media to learning useful skills that can help them become independent and create opportunities for themselves. I will start by creating awareness through social media, schools and worship centers. With my team, we will talk to teenagers about the importance of learning practical skills and not only depending on the lifestyle they see online. We will encourage them to discover what they are good at and learn a skill that interests them. We will also organize small programs where students can meet skilled people, entrepreneurs, companies, influencers and other successful young people. They can share their real stories, including the hard work, failures and patience behind their success. I believe hearing these stories can help young people understand that success is not just about money, fame or what they see on social media. Another part of the project will be connecting interested students from low-income families with people or organizations that can sponsor their training. This will give young people who cannot afford training the opportunity to learn a skill of their choice. I also want to organize practical skill sessions where young people can learn skills such as graphic design, tailoring, catering, photography, media and event technology, and other useful trades. As the project grows, I hope to establish a skills acquisition center where teenagers and young people can receive regular training and mentorship, especially during school holidays. My goal is not to stop young people from using social media, but to help them use their time better, discover their abilities and turn their interests into useful skills and opportunities.
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
My project is still at idea stage. My team is still being formed, but I plan to work with my friends and co-apprentices who are teenagers and have recently finished secondary school . The team will include David Joseph, Chidera Henry and me, Abraham Okalekwo. We will share ideas, plan activities together and divide responsibilities based on our different skills. We will also listen to each other's opinions when making decisions.
