Welcome to a great week!

RISE Youth of the Week is Freeman Osonuga from Nigeria. Osonuga, from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state, is one step closer to making Nigerian Space history. Born to a petty trader and a driver-father, whom he lost as he journeyed through life. Osonuga read medicine and surgery at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun state, Nigeria. True to his professional oath, he “laid his life” as he volunteered – for six months – to help Sierra Leone battle the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in 2014.

FREEMAN OSONUGA

Freeman Osonuga, who was recognized for his work as an Ebola volunteer, was shortlisted for the the Influential Rising Star programme which was launched last year at the One Young World Summit in Dublin, Ireland to find one inspiring individual, who will become the voice of the next generation.

Freeman Osonuga is up against Keren Jackson of Ireland and Hussain Manawer of the United Kingdom. These three finalists will be flown to Bangkok next month where they will attend the One Young World Summit and also deliver a keynote speech on their topic of choice to the thousands of delegates present as well as a panel of global business leaders after which the winner of a space trip will be announced.

Freeman Osonuga is a WIRED 2015 Innovation Fellow, an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society, a One Young World Ambassador and Founder & Executive Director, Heal The World Foundation Nigeria.

Freeman Osonuga at the WIRED 2015 conference

Freeman is a recipient of Meritorious Service Award from President Bai Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone, a 2014 TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year and one of the 2013 Ten Outstanding Young Persons In Nigeria. Freeman Osonuga plans to use his adventure to space to initiate a Global Climate Care Advocacy Programme.

Please let’s support the dream by using #sendfreemantospace on twitter, facebook, google+, instagram, @krugercowne, @freeman_osonuga and other social media platforms.”