Name: Benjamin Dankaka
Age: 29
Project: Readers and Leaders Campaign
State Implemented: Kaduna state
Country: Nigeria
Email: bendanks@yahoo.com
Phone: +2348039208537

A general saying goes that Readers are Leaders. Potentially, someone who has more information stands at an advantage over someone with lesser information. That was the idea that hit Benjamin Dankaka after attending the Youth Works training and he got to work and he is still working. Benjamin started the Readers and Leaders campaign that works to improve the reading culture of young people to enable them become a generation of outstanding leaders. His mission is organizing workshops and trainings for young people in Kaduna state where he resides. His strategy involves establishing Reading and Leadership clubs in secondary schools in Kaduna state and together with his team, they have developed a manual on Reading and Leadership. So far, his project has reached 10 secondary schools in Kaduna and 5 schools have signed a partnership establishing Readers and Readers club in their schools. About 281 students have been reached directly, while 80 young people benefitted from their training at different religious organizations. The Readers and Leaders project is now registered with the Nigeria Youth Clubs/Association as Readers and Leaders Club. The project has been promoted by the new Nigerian weekly (12^th April, 2008 and 3^rd January, 2009) and the Freedom Newspaper of 1^st – 7^th September, 2008. The Kaduna state media corporation has also granted Benjamin and his team a 15 minutes Air time every week free of charge! The broadcast program is titled “Leaders Digest” promoting reading and good leadership. It is fast becoming one of the lead youth programmes in Kaduna state.