1. The document describes the author's experience as a young architect volunteering to redesign a church in their community without charge. 2. They redesigned the small old church into an "architectural masterpiece" and oversaw construction, which was still ongoing when they completed their mandatory community service. 3. The author argues that volunteering pro bono work can help gain experience, connections, confidence and fulfillment as an architect, and may even lead to paid work through the connections formed. They encourage other architects to make such sacrifices.

1. #STRICTLY4ARCHITECTS
It was on a Sunday morning, the church service was on. The pastor did a
very good job on the sermon of the day with the topic, “IT’S MORE
REWARDING TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.” And there I was, a young
promising and freshly graduated architect doing his mandatory one
year service to fatherland. The community was Dema, a landlocked
community in Andoni local government area of Rivers state. Dema is
surrounded by communities like Ajagaja, Ibotirem, Samanga, to
mention a few. Cars don’t run in Dema and its surrounding
communities. If you’re coming from portharcourt, where I usually come
from, you will get to a point (a jetty) where vehicles cannot exceed and
you have to be ferried by a canoe across to the community.
Back to the church service, when the pastor was done with the
powerful and spirited sermon, he went to his polished wooden arm
chair behind the pulpit and sat down.
Then it was the turn of the church building committee chairman to
address the congregation. He was to brief the church on their progress
so far towards the church expansion project. From his report, it was
obvious that there were still a lot needed for the church expansion
project, both in terms of cash and materials. And immediately after his
report, a mini launching was staged in the church. Everybody was asked
to contribute towards the expansion of the old small church into a
bigger and modern church.
People were pledging bags of cement, trips of sand, sandcrete blocks,
and even cash. As a young “corper,” relying on the N9,800 the federal
government was paying us then as “alawee” what could I offer? That
was the question going on in my mind. As I was still pondering on this,
some insights hit me. “Boy! You can actually do something. If you don’t
have money to give or cement to give, you can give your time and

2. talent.” Wow! Yoohoo!!, I shouted out loud to myself before I could
realize that people were sitting beside me. I quickly behaved myself.
But it was already late because all the eyes of people sitting around me
were already fixed at me.
When every donations and pledges were concluded and documented,
as they were about to hand over the microphone to the pastor, I
quickly stood up, with my right hand raised, indicating that I want to
also make a pledge. After all, I equally love God nah. The pastor asked
them to give “ajuwaya” (me) the microphone to speak.
Immediately I picked the mic, the first thing I did was ask the chairman
if they had gotten an architect or engineer to redesign and supervise
the construction of the new church. But I was told that due to the
transportation challenges facing the community, that all the architects
they contacted from portharcourt were giving difficult conditions
before they could handle the project. And that they are still searching
and praying to God to give them a more understanding architect to
help them out. “Then pray no more because God has answered your
prayers. I’m here now. I will redesign this church to a modern church,
and supervise it at no cost. I mean F.O.C.” I announced to them. And
immediately, the whole church went into frenzy. Old, young, women,
men, ladies, everybody went into wild jubilation. They were jumping
and leaping and hugging me.
And that was how I redesigned the old little church into an architectural
masterpiece to the level that they were scared if they could finance the
project. But I told them that nothing is impossible with God. You won’t
believe it, that church was at roof stage when I finished my service and
left Dema.

3. Hahahahahahaha! Lol. I know what is going on in your mind right now.
You’re asking, “What has this story got to do with us? What point is he
actually trying to make self?” Ok I will tell you.
Dear architect, have you ever heard of the word called “Pro Bono?” It is
a latin word, meaning “for the public use” and without a fee. Pro Bono
in other words means free work, it means “church work,” it can also be
called “fusa” or “awuf” work. Lol… you could also call it volunteerism.
Like I keep telling my colleagues, it’s not everything called free that’s
actually free.
Now hear this, would you believe that I did my first ever paid job (a 6
bedrooms duplex with an enclosed swimming pool at Rmuagholu
Portharcourt) through the connection I got from that church project?
Apart from the Rumuagholu job, I gained a priceless experience and also
got connected to a lot of people, both some engineers and architects who
came from Portharcourt from time to time monitor what I was doing,
and some indigenes of the land that come home occasionally and would
pop in to admire the project. To be truly “Frank,” that project sold me
out.
So please drop your ego and fold your sleeves and get down to work
today. Make some sacrifice. At least do it just for one year if you like
and you will never recover from the outcome.
1. It will give you a voice. You can point to someone and say this is my
work. 2. It will give you confidence, because we get confidence by
experience and experience by practice. 3. It will get you connected. You
will get to know a lot of people and they will know you too. 4. You
would be contributing to humanity. It’s an act of charity which gives you
fulfillment. 5. Even when you make mistakes during the construction,
your sponsor or the financier may not be too mad at you because he is
not paying. I’m talking from experience. I did a lot of bad jobs when I
was starting, and because some of them were not really paying me

4. “official” fee, they had no mouth to shout at me. I was making mistakes
and I was learning very fast.
Take a trip to your town hall and let them know that you are a resident
architect who cares about the future of your community. Inform them
that you are available to provide pro bono services and are interested in
serving on advisory committees such as planning or architecture review
boards or building committee.
Then visit your library, your school district and any other organization
that may need your assistance. Volunteering to provide architectural
services may give you the first projects you need to feature on your
website and establish your presence within the community.