John Dada
John Dada PhD, MPH, RN, DipHE is best known for his innovative community-development work as the director of Dadmac's sister organisation - Fantsuam Foundation (a voluntary role). In this short video John introduces Fantsuam Foundation. Fantsuam Foundation serves the needs of local communities over a wide rural area. It is also at the forefront of rural connectivity and relevant ICT (Information and Communication Technology). John has a holistic approach. This comes from responding to the needs of people, and the fact that people have all kinds of intertwined needs. His voluntary work means that he brings to Dadamac an extensive social network and a deep knowledge of rural realities.
Attachab Eco-village
John works in his home area of Kaduna State in North Central Nigeria. One of his plans is to bring together the various Fantsuam Foundation projects at a new eco-friendly site, Attachab Eco-village. He wants Attachab to become a showcase of good practice - a genuine community which is also a leading centre for research, development and training. Read more about Attachab in this blog. Attachab Eco-village and its related Knoweldge Resource Centre provide the sites for various Dadamac projects.
Sharing knowledge and networks through Dadamac
People and organisations can use John's knowledge and connect with his networks through Dadamac. It is possible to work with him, and his team, at a distance or at the sites where he works. Through his voluntary work at Fantsuam Foundation John serves local needs. Through his wide personal and professional networks he connects widely in Nigeria and in other countries in Africa. Through Dadamac he looks outward, enabling fresh initiatives from outside of Africa, in new win-win collaborations.
John and the UK
John obtained his PhD in the UK, at Leeds University. He stayed on to do a nursing qualification - because he anticipated that, back in rural Nigeria, nursing would be a useful skill to have. As a result he has had an unusual work history. He has worked as a University lecturer and professor, helping to educate fellow Nigerians. He has also come back on visits to the UK, taking the opportunity to work as an agency nurse in order to maintain his skills and earn extra money to boost the funds of some of his community projects. (Back home his nursing knowledge is a valuable input to the clinics and other health projects he has helped to set up.)
John's ongoing links with the UK mean that there are very few cultural barriers when people in the UK collaborate with him on projects in Nigeria.
