The Persistence of Vision

Last summer, August 10, 2024, to be exact, I received the type of phone call everyone fears receiving. I was informed on that call that Dr. Samson Chuga, the head of our Partner NGO in Nigeria, had unexpectedly and tragically passed away. Getting this call was like a swift kick to the gut. Initially, I was in disbelief; once it set in, I was devastated.

I met Samson nearly ten years ago. From the moment I met him, I knew he was unlike any man I had ever met. As our friendship grew, I began to identify what was so different about him from anything I had ever encountered: the breadth and depth of his character. Never before had I met someone so selfless, so caring, so wise, and so committed to the cause of improving the lives of the people of his homeland. Samson taught me a lot about being a man of integrity, hope, and faith. Mainly, he showed me what it was to be the best you can be at all times, and he gave me the confidence to believe in the impossible. I am not a water engineer, geologist, or anything else that would qualify me to lead a water infrastructure organization. But he believed that together we could do it, and together we did. Since October 2018, Partners For Water and Chuga and Friends Foundation have completed 43 water infrastructure projects in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Without his vision and dedication, none of what has been accomplished in Nigeria would have been possible.

Without his vision and dedication, none of what has been accomplished in Nigeria would have been possible. The day he passed away, he and I texted about the next water project, which was not unique. We always discussed what was next and how we would change Nigeria forever. We bounced ideas off each other, and each of us had an immense belief in the ability of the other to accomplish those things. We always talked about how we would do it together. The thought of going forward in his vision without him is almost unbearable, but the idea of not carrying on with his dream of improving the lives of his people is even more intolerable. Samson was my partner, mentor, and, most of all, he was my friend. He embodied everything I aspire to be as a leader and a man. His dreams for his country, people, and family will live on through his family, his foundation, and his legacy. Our work will go on, and his vision will come to pass through each of us who knew him and loved him.

JT