ISLAMIAT ABIDEMI RAJI

'I  was inspired to love and live a selfless life by growing up in a large  family where everyone was busy taking care of family, and never got the  time or resources to offer a helping hand to others. So I developed my  love for volunteerism, conservation and humanitarian services.

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My  mom had eight girls, but my dad had 12 children, some of whom I have  never met. Knowing that my mom gave birth to eight children not because  she can fend for them but because of the pressure to have a male child  is a big lesson for me with the overpopulation and earth crises we face  globally. We just do not have extra resources to carry this increasing  population.

We  are in a world where we pursue affluence rather than making a positive  impact. We acquire much that we don't need to satisfy our greed - to the  detriment of others, including humans and biodiversity.  The number of  children we wish to have, our decisions to self-develop regardless of  our gender, how we treat others, and the use of resources – all these  must change for the better.'