The audacity of the African child to conquer despite seemingly insurmountable odds is the fundamental theme of this book. This spirit necessitates global acts of activism, exemplified by Fame Agidife who engaged in this quest from his childhood in the Niger-Delta to the international arena. His goal was to attain personal peace by securing justice for the marginalized and confronting his lifelong adversary: systemic poverty. This book tells that story, interwoven with his personal life journey and search for love.
In his own words, highlighting the core crisis:
"It is all about the people, the innocent children, the communities, and the land being ravaged by poverty that is caused by excessive government militarization** of the area, unending militant unrest, and the worst of it all—the toxic waste from the activities of the oil companies. These companies settled in the oil-rich land that ought to develop the people and the land but chose instead to poison the water, the fishes, the land, the crops, and the people that inhabit the rich creeks region of the Niger-Delta of Nigeria."
Global Impact & The Call to Action
While the world focused on the dramatic oil spills and armed conflict, another, quieter war was being fought against economic despair. For those of us who couldn't take up arms against the heavily armored military that besieged the region, we chose the path of economic empowerment. We believed that lasting change must be built from the community level up.
Out of the entire Warri area, only three main organizations dedicated themselves to filling the colossal gap left by failed institutions by pioneering micro-finance and cooperative savings — a direct and non-violent contribution to peace building:
1.The People's Mega – headed by Chief Jolomi.
2. Mustard Seed – headed by Pastor Glory.
3. Enerhen Poverty Alleviation MPCS Ltd (later Hope Alive MPCS Ltd) – headed by my humble self, Fame Agidife.
This book is not just a memoir; it is a blueprint. It showcases how resilience and grassroots economics can offer a genuine alternative to violence, transforming victims of resource conflicts into agents of change. It offers a vital perspective on global resource equity and the human cost of oil extraction.
A War-Torn Memory and the Human Cost
I can still hear the sound of gunboats exchanging gunfire with the restless militants over the control of crude oil pipelines.This was the soundtrack to my academic life, often heard while studying at the Delta State library—a space separated only by a small fence from the financial institutions trying to rebuild community trust.
Even from a distance, the picture of the Warri conflicts remains painfully clear: the guerrilla warfare, the myths of impunity like the 'Egbesu boys' and the alleged military impenetrability of Camp 5 (the operational base of the Niger Delta Emancipation Movement led by Tompolo). I recall the terrifying moments when we would drop to the floor of the library as stray bullets became the indiscriminate price of living in that war-town zone — an experience that highlights the tragic reality that innocent civilians are always the primary casualties in resource conflicts.
Hope Alive Yes We Can is the definitive statement that even in the shadow of environmental destruction and armed conflict, the hope for justice, dignity, and economic self-determination remains fiercely alive.
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