Haddijatou's literary journey commenced in her eighth grade with the release of her debut masterpiece, The Successful Dreams, followed by her sophomore effort, The Broken Home, which she unveiled to the public while she was in the tenth grade.
Moreover, her mission goes beyond personal achievement. This ambitious youngster is on a crusade to ignite a passion for literature among her peers and beyond. And in this vein, she has come up with a grand project that would opportune her to achieve the goals of her crusade through a national call for reading and writing.
Haddy believes in the power of reading and writing as tools that can transform lives, and she strives to unite students through awareness, fostering a community that recognises the value of literacy.
“The initiative is all about bringing my fellow students together by creating awareness on how reading and writing can be a useful tool in one’s life. As a young writer, I am with the belief that reading can be a tool to solve problems and writing as well can be a way to communicate,” declares Haddijatou, who is currently navigating the challenges of high school in the science cohort.
With the ultimate goal of inspiring the minds of her fellow students, reaching a staggering 5000 or more and leaving an indelible, positive impact on society, her project encompasses a multifaceted approach, involving school visits, training sessions on writing skills, peer-to-peer discussions, mentoring aspiring writers and conducting surveys among her targeted audience - students.
Her belief encompasses the notion that young people must read to fully discover themselves and must also be willing to write to express their ideas and thoughts.
The challenges she faces are not trivial: financial constraints and a startling lack of libraries in many schools across the length and breadth of the nation. Undeterred, Haddijatou plans to overcome these hurdles through innovative strategies. She intends to embark on tours, visiting libraries and bookshops, and utilising social media platforms to access diverse reading resources.
Inspired and motivated through reading and carving her experiences into expressible words on pages, she believes that even in the absence of libraries in some schools, there are many ways to find materials to read. Social media, she contends, is a powerful ally, offering free access to novels and diverse reading materials.
A fundamental aim amongst purposes of her venture is to “make sure each and every single student can serve as a source of inspiration to the partner”.
“There are as well social media pages that provide free access to novels and other different things people can read about. There are also available platforms or applications where people can be exposed to reading and writing skills,” she professed.
Financial constraints are a hurdle, but Haddijatou is determined to seek collaborators and stakeholders to join her mission. "I am conducting this project alone and I wish to have other initiatives in addition. I invite others to stand with me, to make this initiative more impactful. Collaboration is the key to realising our collective dreams," she asserts.
Haddijatou invites interested parties to reach out directly via her email (haddijatoujobe14@gmail.com) or on social media platforms such as Facebook (@Haddijatou Jobe or @projectaction2023).
With dreams as vast as her literary imagination, Haddijatou envisions that her venture becomes a catalyst for change. "I see myself as a youngster with the potential to make a difference. Given the right environment, this project can truly be transformative," she concludes with determination in her eyes and a world of possibilities at her fingertips.
As Haddijatou Jobe foresees herself as a torchbearer for the youth, her literary works speak volumes. It stands as a witness to the indomitable spirit of young voices determined to change the world.
In her words: "I have a lot of plans, Insha’Allah, and I see myself as a youngster who can stand a better chance at speaking to my fellows. Therefore, I am foreseeing this project as very impactful, provided I am given the suitable environment."
