Osas Iyamu Usideme is originally from Nigeria and works as an Intercultural Health Advocate with the Intercultural Health Hub in Waterford & South Tipperary Community Youth Services. Her work is primarily with International Protection Applicants/Refugees in the Southeast region’s Accommodation Centres and New Communities.
Osas’s journey to becoming a renowned advocate took work. Arriving in Ireland in 2003 as an IPA, she found herself in a Direct Provision Centre, facing the same health issues as many others. Despite these challenges, Osas’s determination and passion for helping others never wavered. Her journey is a testament to her resilience and commitment, and this journey has shaped her into the advocate she is today.
While living in the Direct Provision Centre, Osas began an epic education journey. This started with a distance learning course—a Certificate in Child Psychology with the School of Practical Childcare, Blackrock, Dublin. In her quest to volunteer, she became a Community Knowledge Worker working with people in Accommodation Centres, focusing on mental health and well-being. This action enabled Osas to progress and assist with Primary-Based Research work with the Intercultural Healthcare Pilot Programme in 2015.
Receiving her Status in Ireland was a turning point in Osas’s life. Despite the initial challenges, including the lack of entitlement to initial grants privilege, she remained steadfast in her pursuit of education. Her resilience and commitment eventually led her to achieve a Degree in Psychology with Waterford Institute of Technology and a Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology in Mental Health with Ulster University, Derry. Today, Osas is a respected advocate and speaker, using her voice to champion the health and human rights of other displaced migrants and families.
Personal Interests and values:
With her infectious smile, Osas loves cooking spicy foods, shopping, and looking good as an oracle of self-care. However, her greatest passion is CARING and GIVING, and this shows through her voluntary activities as a Director and Board Member of Waterford Integration Service since 2021 and a Play Volunteer with Children in Hospital Ireland since 2018. In addition to having fluent English, Osas also speaks Italian (proficient) and Spanish (basic) alongside several Nigerian languages (Pidgin, Edo, Urhobo, and Igbo).