Women will achieve more success when they start

By Christine Onwuachumba

The well-known African proverb, ‘If you educate a woman, you educate a nation,’ has become a guiding principle for Mary Onu, the District Governor of Lions Clubs International, District 404 A1 Nigeria.

After pursuing her education in Europe and America and undergoing leadership training within Lions Clubs International, Onu strongly believes in the role of women in driving social transformation. Hence, at this time when communities are facing significant social and economic challenges, Onu, an esteemed educationist, has stepped up to be a voice of action and purpose.

In this interview, she reflects on her journey into leadership, the power of service, and how empowering just one woman can transform entire communities.

Some would say you chose a life of service. Why that choice?

I didn’t choose a life of service; service comes to me naturally. Along the way of life, I’ve discovered that giving of oneself, whether in time, effort, or resources, is one of the most powerful ways to live a meaningful life. Service connects you to something greater than yourself, or at least, it does for me. It brings perspective, it brings purpose, it brings deep fulfilment to me, and material things don’t give that.

I have witnessed small acts of kindness transform people’s lives. And I have learnt that every effort, no matter how big or small, is valuable. And each of us has the ability to make a difference.

Over time, it has become clear to me that service is not something I do. Service is something I am. It aligns with my values, it fuels my passion, and it continues to shape the way I live life and love others.

You began your journey with the Lions Club in 2012. What was the inspiration, and how has it been over the past 13years?

Yes, I did move to Lagos in 2012, and it was my first time ever living in Lagos. Actually, I had visited Lagos only three times prior to that. Having arrived in Lagos with no network, no friends, and no relatives, I settled down to serve and work in my church. But it did not take long for me to discover that while I was doing great deeds, they were simply within my faith, and I decided to look for a platform where I could reach out to different people, tribes, and faith and just serve. I started looking for such an opportunity, and that brought me to the Lions Club.

A friend actually introduced Lions Club to me, and over the past 13 years, I’ve served in different roles in the association. I joined the club in 2012, and in 2013, I became a club president. That was a huge leap, but it opened my eyes to even see what more there was in the club. It gave me opportunities to serve in ways I hadn’t anticipated I would be able to.

It gave me opportunities to meet mentors and learn incredibly from them, and witness the transformative power of collective goodwill. So my little bit adds to someone else’s little bit, and we’re able to make great impact. From my first project to now leading the district, the journey has been one of growth, humility, and deep fulfilment.

Though women are increasingly empowered today, many remain vulnerable—economically, professionally, and politically.

What pragmatic steps do you believe are necessary to shift this paradigm and create a more equitable landscape for women in Nigeria?

Economically, politically, and professionally, yes, we remain vulnerable. However, I feel that the buck lies at our doorsteps. While this is a perception, the first pragmatic step, I think, for a woman is the decision to move on and to hold her own. Once a woman has made that decision, everything else opens up because she makes a conscious effort to access education and mentorship that will guide her path through the journey she wants to take. She will seek education, both formal and informal. She will equip herself with the relevant skills—and sometimes it’s free, it’s not always paid skills. Volunteering and supporting others are areas where skills are also learnt.

Mentorship, as I have mentioned, is key. As women, I believe, it is important for us to also support each other. We used to be terrible at it, but now I must say, more and more, we are becoming aware that we should support each other. I, for one, have benefited from the mentorship of great women. Women must actively mentor others, creating a pipeline for empowered leaders.

Change will only come when we’re intentional and inclusive. And for as long as we support each other, we will continue to see success. But as I said, it all starts with the decision of one woman to take that bold step to play on that field.

Having held numerous leadership positions in the past, you are no stranger to the weight of responsibility. What principal challenges do you intend to address within the district during your term?

One of the challenges I foresee is sustaining member engagement and growing our membership base. At this point, we’re very particular – in fact, we’re on a mission called Mission 1.5, which aims to grow our membership to 1.5 million globally. This is to give us the opportunity to grow our service. The more we are, the more we can serve. So I foresee that being a challenge, but an achievable challenge.

I intend to strengthen our association’s engagement and project execution. Where we used to do one project, can we do two or three or four? If we’re able to carry out a lot of service projects, we become more visible. If we become more visible, many people want to join us. Many people want to be part of something that’s doing great things. So that’s one way I intend to overcome the challenge of membership.

For engagement, this year we have set out all the United Nations SDG goals. So we plan to mark all the United Nations days from Charity Day to Women’s Day. As much as we’re focusing on our eight global causes, we are going to blend in the United Nations days to give us more avenues to serve and reach out to communities. This will, in turn, engage Lions in a different way probably in a way we’ve not done in the past and bring out more talents and more zeal, thereby engaging membership and project execution.

What counsel would you offer to teenage girls aspiring to become successful and fulfilled women in today’s challenging world?

It’s interesting because it’s easy to forget we were all once teenage girls. But I tell you, the challenges today are a little different from the challenges we faced in our time. But what’s certain is life is always full of obstacles, challenges that will test your strength, your character, and your patience.

In today’s world, social media is the fastest way to be seen, but it’s also the quickest way to distraction or the quickest path to discontent and even failure if it’s not used wisely. What you see online is the highlight reel; it’s not always the full story.

Teenage girls shouldn’t be pressured to compare their journey with someone else’s timeline. Instead, they should make conscious choices that align with their values and long-term goals. Create those goals as you go along. Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Choose your friends wisely. Invest in your growth. Never let anyone dim your light.

Most importantly, choose a model – a role model, someone whose life reflects integrity, discipline, and purpose. Someone who you want to be like. Learn from them. Let their example guide you and stay true to who you’re becoming. Know your worth. Stay curious and never stop learning. Success is not about speed it’s about direction.

As the newly elected District Governor of the Lions Club 404A3 District, what gives you confidence that your tenure will be purposeful and marked by the fulfilment of key goals?

What gives me the confidence is the strength of the team I have, the members of the district, and the communities we currently serve.

With the clarity of my vision which I have passed to my team and members, we mean to reach every possible community within our reach. If this happens, it will show firsthand our passion: for service, for commitment, for compatibility with our communities, and for partnerships.

Partnership is an area I’d really like to explore because we have so many organisations reaching out to communities and sometimes duplicating efforts. When we communicate with one another, we’re able to maximize efforts instead of duplicating efforts. If I was going to a community to give 100 packs of food and another NGO was going to do the same, we might consider giving to two different communities or giving to twice as many more people on the same day, instead of a hundred same people on the same project.

I also think my strategic planning is going to help. I have worked tirelessly over the past one year observing my current district governor, and I plan to build on her established successes and work on those areas which the district was not able to reach out to as much.

I believe that I am poised to achieve this meaningful impact together with all the people around me. And with this vision, we have laid the foundation for an intentional and purposeful year of service.

Our theme this year is Passion for Service. So we are really out to reignite the passion of every single Lion for service.

You said you intend to partner with other NGOs. I thought you were planning to partner with corporations and government organisations?

We partner with anyone with a service-oriented purpose. Anyone who wishes to make a difference. We are willing to collaborate with any organisation that wishes to reach out to communities. Recently, we played a football match against the Rotary Club, and I’m proud to say we won. But that’s the kind of interaction. We’re not competitors; we are collaborators. We have the same vision and the same goal.

Parenting these days is a far more complex job. What advice would you offer to young parents striving to raise well-rounded children in today’s world?

Today’s world is a challenging time to raise children. But I think the first step would be also deciding. Our culture is one where you get married then you should have children. But is that still the case now?

Choosing to have children should be a choice made out of the heart, not out of getting married or pressure or wanting to give the grandparents’ grandchildren. Because being a parent is tough. You must be present. In this world that is full of distractions, your love as a parent and your guidance is irreplaceable. No one can love and guide your child like you will yourself, no matter how much you pay.

Teach your children values, not just how to follow rules, but to know values. Listen more than you speak to your children. Children are speaking so loud, but so silently these days. So, we’re having more and more children who we’re not listening to because they’re not speaking the words we understand.

Listen to whatever language your child may be speaking. Model your behaviour into your child, what you want to see in them. You can’t be a smoker and raise your children not to smoke. Just as you can’t skip going to church and expect your children to go. Above all, I would say raise your children with faith. I believe faith in the God factor, whatever faith you may belong to. Raise your children with kindness, but most of all, a sense of purpose because we all have our purpose on this earth.

You mentioned that this year’s Lions Club theme is Passion for Service. Let’s talk about the programmes lined up this year.

Every year in the Lions Club, we have a different theme. Every year with the election of a new District Governor, we have different targets and goals to support. This year, I have penned down a few areas which I wish to support. I’ll start with the fundraising because that’s very important. My heart’s desire is to raise N100 million, and support clubs to reach out to communities throughout the year in the area of diabetes. I also want us to support families with children living with sickle cell, Down syndrome, cancer and other disabilities; and also support people who are visually impaired.

I’ve also earmarked eight school halls across the district to support through renovations. This is to make an impact not just on the children, but on the school and the environment around the school. We wish to support families who are hungry, to make sure no child goes to sleep hungry. We’re going to reach out to schools and communities to encourage tree planting to protect our environment. Because if you plant a tree today and it grows, you will be saving lives.

I intend to support 100 women and youths through an empowerment programme. This will kick off in July when we celebrate Youth Skills Day. We will offer 20 young adults an opportunity for a week-long training through a scheme that offers them employability skills.

I plan to provide 1,000 free eye glasses (to those who cannot afford them, sponsor 50 cataract surgeries, provide glaucoma medication for 25 patients. This may look small, but it definitely goes a long way. Glaucoma medication recently skyrocketed from N12,500 a bottle to about N45,000. And imagine a driver or a secretary who has glaucoma? It’s a manageable disease, but how much does he earn to spend N40,000 on a bottle, monthly?

Environmental awareness is also something I am very keen about, and we will be investing time and resources towards raising funds for these. We also desire to support two hospitals or schools with solar systems. And finally, 1,000 school bags with all the stationery they need to send our children back to school. Basically, we are trying to raise N100 million for all these.