At 13, Valdimir Joseph came home to an empty house.
His mother, unable to handle the stress of single parenthood, had packed her bags and left, forcing young Joseph to spend the next year and a half sleeping on subways, rooftops and hallways in the rough city streets of the Bronx.
Joseph vowed then that he would never let this happen to another child again.
Now 25, Joseph, a 1996 Morehouse College graduate, is the founder and director of Inner Strength, a four-year-old development program that is changing the lives of “at risk” minority youth everyday.
“If it weren’t for the people who helped me during those dark days, I wouldn’t be alive today,” says Joseph. “Someone helped me, therefore I must help others.”
Joseph describes Inner Strength as a “holistic development program” that offers young males alternatives to the corrupting influence of urban life.
“We use tutoring and mentoring to expose these adolescents to different levels of reality, like the power of education, the power of self-esteem, and the reality of their worlds,” Joseph says. “Ultimately we hope to change the stereotypes that society has about Black males today.”
To show kids that there is life outside their seemingly hopeless environments, Joseph and his small but dedicated group of volunteer staff take them hiking and water-rafting.
“By climbing for hours on end or treading water down a vigorous river, the kids are able to see the power of their own individual inner strength to survive,” Joseph says.
And it works.
“I remember a kid we had who had dropped out of school at 13,” says Joseph, citing one of many examples of how Inner Strength turned lives around. “He had been in and out of jail two times and also had a baby girl. He didn’t care much about himself or his immediate family, but he did care about his little girl.
“We counseled him, and made sure he was on the right track both in school and outside. And I’m proud to say that he is one of the many students we have helped graduate from high school.”
The success of the program, which started as a one-man effort during Joseph’s sophomore year as a political science major, has garnered numerous awards for the organization, including grants totaling $200,000.
The program has also been featured in various media outlets, including CNN and Oprah.
“Publicity is good, but it is not enough,” Joseph says, visibly worried. “We want to do so much more but we’re in dire need of funding.”
Between running the program full-time, raising funds, and preparing for law school, Joseph has little time for himself.
“Starting an organization means I’ve had to sacrifice a lot of my personal needs,” he says. “I like to go hiking and camping by myself, but I hardly get a chance to do it.”
Joseph pauses for a brief moment and says, “But hey, the biggest joy is knowing I am changing lives.”
“It’s almost like a domino effect,” he continues, with eyes closed, as if replaying every experience he has ever had. “ If I help them to be their best, they’ll help their brothers, friends, uncles, fathers and society as a whole to do their best.”
And it is from that hope that Valdimir Joseph draws his inner strength.
For more information on Inner Strength or to volunteer, call (404) 335-0461or visit www.innerstrength.org
