Rachael O. Yari is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Kije Outreach (Nigeria) and the proprietor of Kije School of Creativity and Skills (Nigeria). In this interview, Rachael who also coordinates ‘The Real She Power’, a female empowerment platform speaks on the business of recycling disposed tyres.
Can you tell us about your background?
I am a young entrepreneur, an author, motivational speaker and a trained teacher with a Bachelor degree from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. I have a National Certificate in Education from Federal College of Education (FCE), Zaria, and a diploma in Entrepreneur and Finance Management from the Kaduna Business School.
I am a member of AFricraft, Maluwa Africa, YALI, a matron for people with special ability and an Award winner of the WBAF_WAMDC Africa Excellence award in Accra, Ghana.
For everyone, it is imperative to discover a purpose. What is yours?
One of the major purposes I have come to discover about my life is to help people discover the inert ability in them and also be productive as well. This is the motive behind the establishment of my creative school where people can understand there creative ability and bring out the very best out of them.
It is for the same reason I started the Real She Power platform that helps the she gender understand the creative ability, possibility, and strength in them so they can be productive to themselves and their society.
You recycle disposed tyres. How do you do it?
As the saying goes, if there is no Job, create one! I am a university graduate and I read Biology. But today, I proudly gather disposed vehicle tyres and with my creative mind set not minding my gender, I turn them to something to make a living for myself.
These tyres are available all around us. I once asked a mechanic for tyres and he told me, “Thanks for coming to carry them because I am supposed to burn them next week.”
When I showed him what I use them for, he was shocked and challenged. I turn these tyres into useful tables, and decorations and the fortune has been quite significant. This is about creativity and I think I found a way to do that and to beautify people’s homes.
What projects do you have at hand?
We have widows outreach for 200 widows in Kaduna where we are training them on several hand skills and recycling. We also do weekly seminar for women under the Real She Power platform.
What is your membership strength?
I am the pioneer head for the Association of Young CEOs in Kaduna which we also call The Younger CEOS platform. Under this, we have 218 members. For the Real She Power platform, we have 230 members and for the online training classes, we have 118 members across Africa.
As the CEO of Kije Outreach, how do you source for fund?
I source for fund from family and friends and these funds are used for our outreaches and trainings.
What are your plans for expanding the outreach and skills centre shortly?
We aspire to build a standard skill training centre where individuals at various classes of living can come and be trained. For our outreach, we want to be able to reach out to individuals across Africa.
What is your advice to the unemployed Nigerian youth?
I tell younger people that in the world we are today, your certificate is not good enough so think beyond your certificate. There is that special ability that God has deposited in you, wake it up and earn something for yourself.
