HD Special Interview with Mide Johnson of The Safe Space Community

Mide Johnson identifies as a human before anything else. Despite being a law graduate, he started Safe Space, a community for young people living in their twenties. In this interview, Mide talks to us about purpose, and being in your twenties in Nigeria, and gives us a first-hand view of what The Safe Space Community is all about.

Tell us, who is Mide Johnson?

First, I am a person; I am human, and I think there is a need for us to reconnect with that reality. I’m just me, a human first, a law graduate, the founder of Safe Space, and a rapper. That’s who I am. Brother, son, and a couple of things, but human first, and that influences how I approach the world. I don’t want to get too deep, but that’s just me.

What led to the creation of The Safe Space Community?

To be very honest with you, you just always understood the concept of the gap in your twenties. It is a very pivotal phase, and it appears in Nigeria, especially in the aftermath of the END SARS protest. There isn’t so much hope left. So much hurt among us. Even when we try our best to make the most of life. There are probably no jobs available and a lot of other things. So, I felt there was a need for a cultural perspective, a community where stories could really be told and we could express our reality. Plus, I am in my twenties. It wasn’t supposed to be rocket science. I mentioned earlier that I am a rapper. I remember one time I was meeting with my team and we were thinking of creating a culture around music. Funny enough, over time, it looks like for the longest period I discarded the music and just faced the culture because it felt like a bigger calling from literally every aspect of Safe Space with the numerous volunteers we have and with the audience.

How will you say it has been received so far?

I think I already answered that in the last question. It’s been overwhelming. I didn’t see my life going in this direction. So, yeah, it’s been amazing how much people entrust their lives, in a sense, with us. Basically, it’s just very amazing, especially when I meet people I have never met before, contact them, and then they tell me how they know about Safe Space. The fact that it helps people that I have never met is very important to me.

I have come across a couple of videos and you talk about purpose a lot. Why is it so?

I think the purpose is very important, you know. What use is going on a journey when you don’t know what direction you are taking. What use is taking a walk in the forest when you don’t have a map. So, I am very huge on purpose. It’s a sense of direction. It’s important. Earlier on, I must have mentioned a couple of things, trying to be a community leader. I’m a law graduate. I have a law career, and there is music. It all just revolves around humanity and people, you know. That’s the purpose. Regardless of how much we stray in life or how things are turned upside down, constantly reminding yourself about purpose is important. So that must be why I talk about purpose a lot.

If you could describe life in your twenties, what would you say?

Life in my twenties, I think I am pretty lucky if I am being honest with you. There have been times in which I have run out of luck. There’s a particular offer I had in this law firm in England last year that didn’t pull through, and I remember how much I felt really out of place. How very underwhelmed I felt and how much I had some sort of emotional crisis. I mean, my ups and downs have taught me how much I really should be grateful for the sunny days, and then, when these sunny days come, I am equally thankful. My life in my twenties has been very lucky and mostly emotionally stable. I am doing pretty well, and, more so, I honestly understand the concept of understanding that my journey is my journey. I think one reason most of us are unhappy is that we let comparison take the front seat and contentment take the back seat. So yeah, I try to forge my path, I try to be my competition, and I’m generally happy.

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Please correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to have this notion that women are more involved with communities. Either from developing one to being a member of a community and avidly taking part. Is this true? If it is not, please shed more light on it? (Gender participation)

I’m such a huge proponent of gender equality. I mean, who shouldn’t? It’s a world where not so much of what females are entitled to is accorded to them. So I think women are probably more involved with communities, but I don’t think they are as credited, if that makes any sense. Even within the concept of Safe Space, I feel like it’s just how the world works. I can’t have favourites among my volunteers, but you can always tell how essential women are. I mean, a lady multitasks better than a guy would. I am usually conscious. I’m sure we have meetings like that at Safe Space where I go, “Ok, what’s happening? It appears it’s just the guys talking. I think I need the women to talk. So you know what, Bro sorry, I don’t want to hear you for a while. Let’s hear what the women have to say”. I think it starts with the very few instances of ensuring that even in meetings, it is not just guys. Then we can talk about it in relation to the workforce. We have equal participation in appointing leaders. We ensure that we have equal representation.

Why should I join The Safe Space Community?

Why should you join Safe Space? To be honest, it’s a community, and you don’t want to go through life alienated. You don’t want to go through life alone, you probably need people, and Safe Space is not some aspire-to-perspire network where we tell you what to do. It’s more of everybody just trying to share their experiences and ensure that it serves a lesson or two to people who are going through similar paths. I think it’s quite a good decision to do so. It adds value to you, so that’s why you should join Safe Space.

So I love content from the Safe Space community. I see Podcasts (I am still new to this), Music, there are Tuesday Tips with Titilope, The Twenties Weekend Letters, The Gals Guide (which I love) and a lot more. What goes into these? How were they birthed and how can we fully get the most out of them?

Yes, thank you. I am very big on ideas and plans, and I have an extremely formidable team. The way these things work is that one thing leads to another. You probably have a random conversation one day, and it starts off. Of course, you take inspiration from similar communities. The overall concept behind some of these things, like podcasts and even letters, is to ensure that people don’t just hear it from us; they hear it from themselves. So we are just trying to be a platform or an avenue where you can do anything. With the podcast, we have had contributors from about four countries. The way it works is that whatever it is you want to talk about, as long as you fall within the ambit of respect for people. We tailor Safe Space content towards just ensuring that whatever we do is just hosting these things. We don’t talk all the time. Also, we ensure people can just send in their thoughts on things, so yeah, that’s the underlining idea. From sketchy plans to whatever, most of these things just happen. Thank God for inspiration.

Which is your favourite?

Which is my favourite? I am afraid I am not allowed to have favourites because, as you know, we are a team of people, and I can’t say, “Yo, I like what Team A has better than Team B.” I can’t specifically say that, but yeah, I am involved in all of them. So, I don’t have a favourite. Do you have a favourite?

I’m still catching up. So, you have told us why we should join the community. How can we join The Safe Space Community?

Okay, so how can you join the Safe Space community? Safe Space is supposed to transition. There are two phases. Phase 1 is being a publishing community, which we are doing right now. All we do right now is churn out letters and content for people in their twenties. The plan is to transform into a networking community where we have an actual online presence. Some sort of nexus for everybody in their twenties so people can interact in real time. They don’t need us to interact as middlemen. They don’t need us to host.

Of course, we could be middlemen, but people meet in the same space. Better proximity to people in their twenties. A problem shared is a problem solved or half solved. You learn from people’s speedy falls and wins. That’s the current plan. Since we are just a publishing community, how can you join Safe Space? You can just access any of our materials online. It is free. You can decide to host a podcast, and you can reach out to any of the teams. Eventually, when we are a publishing platform, I’m sure this will be a very easy process. Anyone in their twenties can join. All you have to do is reach out to us on social media and follow our content.

Where would you like the community to be in the next, let’s say, 5 years?

I’d love to see Safe Space transform into a networking community in the next five years. How it works is that under Safe Space, you have the twenties, then the plan is to have the thirties when we are in our thirties. In 5 years, as we near the age where we have the set of thirties, we bring up a platform that needs to address life at thirty realities. In 5 years, a networking community for twenties is working on the next phase.

Can you help us with a word of advice for young people living in their twenties?

I don’t have much advice. I think it’s hard to tell people to be hopeful when hope isn’t virtually distributed through words. Keep hope alive. It’s the twenties; it’s a defining phase. It’s ups and downs, but trust me, the moment we can navigate it, I feel like there will be a time when we look back and be grateful. I don’t have a word of advice. I’m just endearing and encouraging us to just hold on. It might be tough, but just hold on. Try to be happy. Don’t let your happiness be hinged on “it’s going to happen when I achieve this or when this happens”. Just create short-term happiness for yourself. Just choose hope. Choose happiness.

If you’d like to contribute to The Safe Space Community or Speak with any of the team members, please do so by visiting their Instagram Page – @twentieslive

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