Hidden Gems: Meet Oba Totton of DIG LIFE

Today we’d like to introduce you to Oba Totton.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Meet The Founder – A graduate of Langston University in Oklahoma Eric earned his Bachelor’s in Broadcast Journalism and is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Eric founded Dreamz Into Goals (DIG LIFE) in the Spring of 2021. His passion for giving started at an early age watching his mother give to the community in Oklahoma City. A resident of Long Beach, Eric draws from his personal experience and his goal decrease the digital divide by bringing tech to urban youth by giving out laptops, spotlighting trading, and coding. All of which he considers the source of financial and intellectual empowerment…

While pledging my fraternity, we had to do community service and there was this child at the local Salvation Army where i1decided to do my community service hours. Well, I went for a couple of weeks and was teach the children to juggle. This young man got it pretty good… As a 19-year-old young man myself and juggling school and football practice, it was hard to be consistent and eventually, after midterms and spring ball when I went back to visit the young man I was told he was gone and not coming back and that he and looked for me for about two weeks before he decides not to come back. This lit a fire under me to be consistent and to give with heart. I never wanted to have that feeling again.

After graduation I moved to Los Angeles where I met Ken Sagoes (Nightmare On Elm Street) he has a Non-Profit organization and invited me to join I felt like it was my time for redemption. Once I joined the organization, I quickly rose in the ranks and became the first Head of the Junior Board. It was an honor to have this title. Even tho the organization was doing great work, I just wanted to do more.

Then I met Duran Bowie who is the Founder of the non-profit I’m am Movement not a Monument. We hit the ground running for about 10 years I became the chairman of the board and we did backpack giveaways and toy drives. Thanksgiving and Halloween events for our students and their families. Not to mention a very successful tutoring program. As always looking for ways to expand and grow, I wanted to do more so I started to give out Laptops to the students. I wanted to help with the digital divide and give the urban youth the chance at computers early in life. After the fourth giveaway Duran suggested I start my own non-profit and later that year I started DIG LIFE.

Established in April of 2021, DIG LIFE actually was just a monthly laptop giveaway. That has now expanded to tutoring, mentorships, scholarships, and much more. In just a few short years we have managed to grow by double each year and are very excited about what to come.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge so far is getting funding and donations for a upstart Non-Profit. however over the past two years we have increased in funding and donations. We have a lot of programs that we want to implement for our scholars but it takes a significant amount of capital.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about DIG LIFE?
DIG LIFE believes a student supported succeeds. We provided a lifestyle with education-based programs .that help underprivileged scholars through their adversity of the feeling of being underserved and displaced from Long Beach to the World, DIG LIFE will empower young people and guide them to build brighter futures for themselves, their families and their communities. Our Project “Pass The Baton” is our initiative to support our students throughout their journey from Kinder to Career.

We as a nonprofit want to be self-sustaining so we created the brand PTB (Pass The Baton). We asked ourselves how does the Marathon continue and this was our answer.

PTB Clothing is a brand that is dedicated to making a positive impact on the world. As part of their mission, they donate 60% of their profits to DIG LIFE, a non-profit organization that focuses on improving the lives of people in underprivileged communities. This donation helps support DIG LIFE’s efforts to provide access to clean water, education, and healthcare to those in need. By choosing to support PTB Clothing, you are not only getting high-quality clothing products, but you are also contributing to a worthy cause and making a positive difference in the world.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
The best thing about Long Beach is the community. It’s very diverse and artsy. There is a renaissance feeling in the air when walking or riding your bike in this great city. The city is very eclectic and inviting to tourists or visitors.

My guess only dislike is the homeless and how they are dealt with in the city but I do believe we have some of the best ideas that are about to be pushed through city planning and also its not just Long Beach it’s America problem.

Contact Info:

• Website: dreamzintogoals.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamzintogoals
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DIGWORLD.TV
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DIGWORLDFAMILY
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Oc-zoz6g_CvnNV_zOKV_A
• Other: https://passthabaton.com/

Image Credits
Mike Garcia, Regina Villacrusis and DIG LIFE TEAM