When and what informed the decision to start Carissa Inspirational TV?
It is important for every individual to have a vision and mission in life that propels you into what you aspire to be. I prayerfully began my quest for an elevated life on how to make positive impact on humanity, and while at it, Carissa Inspirational TV was divinely birthed.
All of these were conceived seven years ago, when God called me ‘a global inspirer’, but I had a partial comprehension until he gave me a definite instruction to create a platform, where I could inspire and encourage the youths globally to soar to the zenith of their God-given ordination.
By this same divine unction, I became propelled in creating inspirational videos and human capacity development contents by discussing transformational hot topics that will not only interest the youth, but also encourage, enlighten, equip, and more importantly, inspire them to be outstanding in the corporate world, competitive market space, trade and vocational learning, ministry and every sphere of human endeavour.
I believe one of the major reasons God entrusted this great mandate in my hands is that He saw the industrious disposition of my heart. I am very passionate about people excelling, becoming a better version of themselves, more importantly faithfully fulfilling their assignment and living out their purpose in life.
For over two decades, precisely in the year 1999, I began to observe closely that I could discern what counsel a person needs per time by engaging them in sessions of constructive discourse. I also observed that people easily come to me for counseling on different issues and amazingly, I just couldn’t fathom where the wisdom was coming from, but I knew that whenever I talk to them, they came back claiming it proffered solutions to their burning issues (I believe it was God leading me and his wisdom supplying the answers till date).
The vision of Carissa Inspirational TV is vivid. It is Africa’s first television station that centres on inspiration and encouragement by enlightening, empowering, equipping, encouraging and inspiring the youth globally to soar above all vicissitudes of life into greatness and eventually become outstanding in their core competence. Though online now, it would eventually metamorphose into a terrestrial television by the grace of God.
An arm of the TV station also focuses on enlightening secondary school students in discovering their talents, gifts and potential early by helping them through practical methods, self-discovery, personal development of skills set whilst utilising and maximising their aptitude.
We also organise a bi-annual programme called ‘Put A Smile’ in encouraging and empowering widows to bounce back to life after the trauma of losing their spouses early.
So, it is a divine assignment that has been given to me and I must say that God has remained my source and resource or better said: the founder and funder.
I trust God to bring in more support as this will enhance the work and enable us touch more lives because this vision is capital intensive, but we have been able to thrive this past years by His grace.
What has been the impact of Carissa inspirational TV?
In the past six years, Carissa Inspirational TV has had tremendous testimonies of transformed lives globally. Youths all over the world send in feedbacks through email and social media platforms by delightfully expressing how impacting our contents, encouragement videos and transformational topics have educated and re-orientated their perspectives and disposition towards the future.
The influence of our series of constructive engagements is evidently seen in different communities that we have worked with.
There have been several suicidal cases where the survivors are now stabilised and are up and about.
Five critical suicide cases were averted by the timely encounter of our encouragement videos and physical therapy sessions. These have been accomplished through a few supportive and recovery channels such as: seminars and conferences for youths on discovering their path, gifts, potential and talents. We also have programmes that help widows heal-up quickly and get into post trauma restoration as well as counsel destitute and help in their rehabilitation processes by partnering with other Non-governmental organisations.
The testimonies are countless, but I personally will not take this glory, so I ascribe all the glory to the Almighty God who has been the commissioner of this great vision and my strength in ages past.
How has it been managing home and your daily business?
I grew up with my paternal grandparents. My paternal grandmother, who was a very articulate and hardworking woman (God bless her soul), taught me diligence and multitasking, which has helped shaped my personal code of conduct at an early stage till this very moment. I tell you, I can do several things cat the same time without one task being detrimental to the other. The caps I wear are many, but I have been able to wear them befittingly and also the skills learnt being the ability to prioritise and plan appropriately by the grace of God. Being a go-getter helps me keep my eyes on my goals per time.
You studied sciences at the university, what inspired your movement into media practice?
I would say media has always been an innate thing or what you’d call an aptitude (smiles). I remember vividly in 1997, our English teacher once called me and asked what I would like to be in life? I remembered saying a medical doctor and he laughed, but softly said to me that all the gifts and talents I see in you are in arts. Can you have a rethink and study Mass Communication? I gave him a thousand and one reasons why I wanted to study medicine not knowing that God was going to practically push me into the career he had designed for my life.
Today, the rest is history, as I’m a formally trained media practitioner. What actually inspired me into media was, one evening, when I was in my kitchen, I heard the Holy Spirit call me a “Global Inspirer”. It was clear, sorry I am unapologetically a Christian, so, I cannot describe my journey without mentioning God because he orchestrated everything and at that point I had to do it the proper way by getting required skills and the certifications for the vision and work that I saw ahead.
At what point did you feel it was time to take it, professionally?
Carissa Inspirational TV is a global vision and it pre-requires well trained and equipped hands as this informed me getting the required skills and certifications. However, after my first degree, I knew I had a bent towards counseling, so, I decided to embark on a skill-horning journey to get myself equipped for my divine mandate.
This led me into acquiring skills and certifications in the line of my vision. I became a certified public relations practitioner (MNIPR). Ialso got certified in trauma counseling and went further to get certified in Advance Trauma Counseling and became a Trauma Therapist.
Also, as a result of my appearance in electronic media houses, public speaking engagements and presentation, I decided to get fully trained and certified. I got trained at the prestigious National Broadcast Academy in Lagos and became certified as a broadcaster and have worked in about seven notable media house in Nigeria winning two meritorious awards all to the glory of God.
What advice do you have for persons who never had media background but are still interested in coming into the media?
My first candid counsel to them would be that of being fully convinced of your intentions of delving into a field of human endeavour that you are unarmed with its prerequisites. Thereafter, getting a formal training and certification does go a long way in any chosen profession for corporate validation and elevation.
It presents such professional as being well grounded and rounded in that regard. Media comes with personality, good command of diction and the art of speaking. It also demands you having a broad reading horizon – having a depth and breadth of knowledge.
However, if God is leading you there, finish with what you are studying at the moment, as no knowledge acquired is wasted. I still apply my knowledge of things learnt in the science world and my course of study into real life issues when discussing some topics. Hence, no knowledge gained is a waste.
What are some of the challenges you have grappled with doing your programmes?
As the saying goes: “Life is never a bed of roses.” I have had to deal with my own fair share of inevitable uphill. First, for a young lady, who is single, had an undying passion for electronic media and carried that into marriage knowing fully well of the hazards of the home front that compete for attention against all odds, I had to deal with a few obstacles such as, the demands of child rearing and domestic chores, paucity of funds, absence of a benefactor(s) for support in kind and occasional technical hitches.
All of these forces at various times came between me and putting on a good showing in the studio. It would be an understatement to say that I never expected them, but I had my mind made up as the saying goes: “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”
I really wouldn’t want to go into lengthy details because every field of human endeavour comes with its own bedeviling and belabouring peculiarities, but be that as may, the resilience and the resolve to stand with an unmitigated resolve places one above the tide.
Conclusively, I must say that the joy of seeing the impact of what I do and how people are blessed by what I do, keeps me going. And obviously the one’ that sends backs one up, he has been indeed my God that sends you and backs you up.
I will like to say this to a youth there, “do not allow any limitation and challenges of life deter you from rising into greatness, you are extraordinary, do not accept being ordinary!
My final word to a youth out there is, “Youths must get driven to their destination by their dreams and purposeful desires with strategy, acquired skills and passion.”
