Yay!!! Its my 1 year anniversary on Steemit:- Rep 68.2, 300+posts, 2 Accelerator Hubs, 3 major projects, over a dozen meetups and more...

One year ago today, I registered on Steemit while waiting to be flown offshore for a job I ended up spending 4 months doing. The centralized kinda job!

---

Introduction.

I am Ejemai and as you can see, it is my username on Steemit as well. I am a Marine ROV Pilot Technician who has had over a decade experience working as a Banker and Financial consultant. I have also worked various jobs that collectively takes another decade.
I also have a life long experience of spending most of my days seeking the good life that I thought I was qualified for by being a Nigerian. Tough story that one.

---

FINDING STEEMIT.

Happening on Steemit turned out to be the best thing that happened to me and I can say for sure, that I now know what it truly means to be free. The Steem Blockchain like I have always pointed out was created with some kind of "love node" that effects you once you start using it.
Joining Steemit was out of a need to find freedom. I was writing on blogspot for years and nothing ever came and everytime I applied for an Adsense account I got a rejection message every time; 5 times actually.
So, that morning, despite the fact that I was embarking on a job that was to pay 280USD daily, I still was searching for Freedom. Then I typed some words about earning online and on the search results, I think the second page, I found Steemit. EVERYTHING CHANGED.

---

On seeing Steemit, I registered immediately and got my password like in less than a second and that was it. I switched off my phone and went to work and for the better part of those months, I only logged in to see what was trending. I would read, explore, upvote, commented and even did some resteems. This went on until i returned from work offshore and then the journey started.

---

MY STEEMIT JOURNEY.

This below was my first post on Steemit and as you can see, it did very well.
And then after some few days, i did my introduction post and earned the biggest amount I would every earn then given the number of times i have authored articles online.

---

• THE 0.20SBD REWARD THAT MADE ME STAY.
  

---

Writing on Steemit became something I just decided to enjoy doing and decided I was going to keep doing no matter what. And since then, no matter what happened, I just stayed and worked hard and then the dreams started to take shape.

---

• I STARTED GETTING CRAZY.
  The first ever step I took to talking about Steemit to people.#SteemitChallenge. I organized a little forum and registered @outhori5ed and @davidekpo.., more to follow. (photos)
  Looking at that picture now and thinking about that day, it just makes sense that only something this unreal can make you believe.

---

• SOME MORE CRAZIES.
  This was when I decided I should get more people on board this ship called Steemit.Port Harcourt Steemit Meetup; Calling Steemians in Nigeria

---

• AND THEN THE CRAZY MATURED.
  By now, I wasn't thinking about some few people, I was already thinking about 20million Nigerians. Really???
  Why Nigeria need Steemit; ..and how we plan to take it to 20million Nigerians.

---

• I HIT A SNAG BUT STILL KEPT ON.
  Like you know, we plan and then the plans plan themselves so we fail. I did fail here but I was trying to make sure I didn's stay failed.
  Steemit Port Harcourt Meetup: Taking Steemit to 20million Nigerians- the Challenges and Solutions

• THIS IS IT!
  I took 3 newbies then and we stormed the University of Port Harcourt for the first Nationwide campaign in Nigeria and that was when the journey got started and since then, it has been from one crazy to the other.
  We did it! 700 flyers shared, 20 accounts opened and over 80 phone numbers acquired: Photos and news from the Steemit Port Harcourt promotion/parade in Nigeria

---

Those where the starting out time for me on Steemit and I just wanted you all to see that I too started from a 25rep score and also put in work while even yet earning 0.00SBD for articles that took me time to put together.

After earning my first money online,0.20SBD, I decided that this was real and as you look through the various steps, you will see that it was personal to me that Steemit stayed real in my life and that of everybody that came my way.

---

THE GAME CHANGING MOMENT OF MY LIFE.

I met Tom @Donkeypong shortly after I posted the progress report of the University campaign I embarked on. We talked and he seemed to like what it was I ranting about and his nods kinda fueled my passion and desire to do more for community and every time I spoke with him thinking he would stop me, he kept encouraging me and I kept going.
Meeting Tom was the turning point in my life, you know how you get to that turning and everything just tells you, you are going to fail big time??? Yes, that was the moment I told myself I was going to keep striving even if it means I fail.

• STACH WAS BIRTHED.
  I had a discussion with Tom, @Donkeypong about getting a hub that will enable Steemians collaborate and participate on top the Steem Blockchain so they are able to over the difficulties that are always waiting at every corner and he also seemed to like the idea and after helping fine tune it and offering some solid advises, STACH happened.
  INTRODUCING: STEEMIT ACCELERATOR HUB (STACH).

---

My 1 year on Steemit has been an amazing run and looking back, I wish it all over again.

---

• WE LAUNCHED STACH.
  STEEM ACCELERATOR HUB, is the first decentralized offline physical shop front that offers Steem and Blockchain services to the people.
  STACH official opening. Port Harcourt, Nigeria. |Official Opening of the first 'Steemit Hotspot'. 1
  STACH was created with the sole aim to decentralized the offline, and since we officially opened in September 2017, we have taken the Nigerian nation by Storm. I started the #Proejct20millionNaija campaign that till today is still being used to onboard new users on Steemit. I have traveled in and out of the shores of Nigeria to attend meetups and help communities grow.

---

• MEETUPS.
  I have organized and attended series of Meetups around Nigeria and most recently in Ghana. We are also right now planning to develop additional 3 Hubs which we expect to launch by the end of Q1.
  [Steemit Heritage Campaign, Day 1: First Video and Pictures 1](https://steemit.com/steemit/@ejemai/steemit-
  heritage-campaign-day-1-first-video-and-pictures-1)

Watch Videos and Photos from day 2 of the Steemit Heritage Campaign, held at the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park 14th and 15th October 2017

@ejemai with live videos and photos from the Steem-Lagos Steemit Workshop 1.0. |You have to watch these videos to see the joy Steemit brings when Steemians come together to rub minds.|

First Video and Photos from the Successful Steemit Uyo MeetUp.| Thanks to @samstickkz and @evelyniroh for rallying the community.

STACH presents the #Project20millionNaija Steemit National Campaign. Go viral!

First videos and photos from the Steemit Ibadan Meetup/Workshop, held 18th November 2017. |The over 10hours trip to the city for this just started to look real and exciting and I have some exciting first videos and pictures before the main event

First Video and photos from SteemUp Kaduna as hosted by @michaelcj and his team

Steemit Uyo Christmas Meetup, Video and Photos: 60+ people present, one great community and a birthday celebration. Steemit is AMAZING!

Ho Ho Ho!!! The SteemUp Delta Christmas Special: First videos and Photos, and our own Blockchain "Steemta Claus"..

SteemUp Ghana was a success: See how we turned it up with the power of the Steem for the first Ghana Steemit Meetup

---

PROJECTS.

I am also a member of the first Not for profit Nigerian Curation service.
Introducing @Naijaboost. The not for profit Nigerian Curation Service to boost original contents

AIR-CLINIC.
This is the first truly decentralized medical services provision I started with @Nairadaddy, a Medical Doctor and @Thelovejunkie, a Dental Surgeon and it is in place to become the Uber and Airbnb of the healthcare world. The discord community of this project already has over 500 members and a website which is open sourced is being developed to enable free sharing.

STEEMCAMP
This is a youth empowerment initiative aimed at eradicating unemployment and poverty in underdeveloped and developing countries in Africa and the world at large. It is a blend of Crypto and entertainment and we hope to be able to use this venture to reach as many persons as possible. @Michaelcj is heading this project and he has a wonderful team working with him to ensure a successful first edition.
This project is also being supported by @TeamSteem.

STEEMSOCCER
This a collaborative community for all sports lovers which will serve as a hub linking blockchain with sports. Steem-soccer1 in partnership with STACH. It is presently being run by @Theheralds.

MERCHANT SERVICES Coming soon. We are presently working on a merchant service that will accept Steem/SBD

---

There are so much more I have been doing for Steemit in the 1 year I have been here and this page will not allow me pour it all out.

---

MORE TO COME.

More to come and more are coming. I am presently working with community leaders to create enabling environment for the creative commons. There is a need for a participatory environment that will help users grow and become leaders themselves.

---

I Feel Blessed!

---

HOW I FARED.

Of the 333 people who joined Steemit on this day in 2017, I am among the 19 that stayed and the one with the highest rep score. This is exciting.

---

APPRECIATION

I will like to first of all thank Almighty God for giving me this moment and also making it possible for these moments to be impact-filled. To @Dand and @Ned and the entire Steemit inc developers and crew, thank you for putting in work to make sure we keep Steeming.
To @Donkeypong (Tom), thank you for listening to me and nudging me the right direction with your always available technical advise and moral support, you are a Star!
To everyone that has been instrumental to my being on Steemit and staying this long, thank you. I cannot mention every name here, but i can just simply say @Everybody, thank you and lets do it again.

---

Make the world a better place for someone today!