Thank you for saving my life.

At the United Nations Conference of States Parties (COSP) 14th edition in 2021, SWW Founder, Hauwa Ojeifo gave opening remarks, bringing the voices and challenges of over 1 billion people living with disabilities.

Held in October 2021 in Paris, France, SWW Founder addressed world leaders, humanitarian organisations and human rights defenders on the state of mental health and human rights in Nigeria and around the world. She called for firm accountability and commitment to the CRPD.

On February 17th 2020, SWW Founder Hauwa Ojeifo became the first person with a mental health condition to testify in that capacity before the Nigerian National Assembly on the rights of persons with mental health conditions.

International non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Watch honoured Hauwa Ojeifo as the inaugural Marca Bristo Fellow in 2020 for her work in advancing disability rights in Nigeria and globally. The award is in honour of late disability rights icon, Marca Bristo who championed disability rights in the United States.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation honoured Hauwa Ojeifo with the 2020 Global Goals Changemaker Award for her gender lens in inspiring and mobilising change in Nigeria. The award is given to someone who uses their personal experience to inspire others and create a better world for all.

Our Executive Director, Hauwa Ojeifo bags the first-ever MTV Europe Music “Generation Change” Award for a young person making a social impact and change for a pressing world issue. The award ceremony was held in Bilbao, Spain and Ojeifo emerged as the first African to ever win this award.

For creating a 24/7 mental health helpline and a women-focused support group, Hauwa Ojeifo received the Queen’s Young Leaders Award from Her Majesty the Queen of England at the Buckingham Palace in June 2018. The Award included a specially curated course in Cambridge University and high-level meetings at The Commonwealth secretariat, and more.

As an AstraZeneca One Young World Ambassador, Hauwa Ojeifo gave a moving speech to over 2000 delegates at the One Young World summit in The Hague, Netherlands. Ojeifo’s remarks centred around her sexual violence experience and the mental health consequences of this silent pandemic.

RISE Now US organised and championed the first-ever United Nations Sexual Violence Survivors Townhall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. As a part of the Sister Survivors network, Hauwa Ojeifo gave remarks at the two events to world leaders, on the issue of sexual violence and what fixing the system should look like.