In 2014, I had the rare opportunity of interviewing a candidate with a peculiar story for a job opportunity. This was at a recruitment and selection exercise in Calabar, Nigeria, on behalf of a Client. When asked why we should consider his candidacy over others, he mentioned his resolve; the fact that he had scaled through the first stage, which was the written assessments; and that he embarked on a two-day journey from the North to Calabar with no ties and no guarantee. All he had was hope, backed by a desperate need to flee the war in Biu, Borno State. I call it war because nothing else explains the level of carnage and ruins caused by the Boko Haram crisis, which intensified in Nigeria in 2011.
He did get the job on merit and shortly after, relocated his young family to safety. That conversation however left me restless for weeks. I shared my thoughts with my husband and close-knit friends and together, we decided to do something new.
