'I'm proud to be her daughter': Family and colleagues congratulate Mayor Helen Ogbu
Having studied international relations and human rights law, she is now considering a return to university to pursue an LLB (Bachelor of Laws).
"Academic wise, I have followed the footsteps of my mum and dad," she said, as she watched her mother take the chain of office as Mayor of Galway City.
"I am really honoured and proud to be her daughter. It has been such an emotional day and ceremony. The outlook for the next year is really great."
Chichi said she believed her mother would continue to inspire people across Galway during her mayoral term.
"I am really excited to see what she does in her capability as Mayor, the way she inspires our city and our community, it is going to be great,” she said.
“It will be amazing and I am really happy."
When asked whether she would also consider a career in politics, Chichi would not be drawn, simply replying: "You never know."
"I am definitely getting myself prepared," she continued, adding that her academic studies take precedence for now.
Mayor Ogbu's sister, Samantha Anyiam, travelled from Cavan to witness the historic occasion and said her sister's determination and work ethic had been evident from a young age.
"Right from when I was little I have known her to be a hardworking person," she said.
"Once she sets her mind to a goal, she makes sure that she achieves it, not just by luck, but by hard work and determination. She has been so good, not just in the background – she puts in the work."
For Samantha, her sister's success was no surprise.
"She helps out, even when she knows she is not going to gain from it, she puts her mind into it and wants to help out."
"To be honest, this (becoming Mayor of Galway City) is not a surprise to me."
Others who have worked alongside Mayor Ogbu said her commitment to the community has long been evident.
Having worked with her at the Ard Family Resource Centre, youth worker Natasha Muldoon said she "lives and breathes" her work with young people.
"I have known Helen for around ten years now," she said.
"Helen was on our board and also ran family support clinics. She is an amazing person. She was always so encouraging for our youth groups. When I heard her say that one of her priorities is young people, she lives and breathes that."
Natasha said Helen's commitment to the community was well established before she entered politics.
"She really takes time to come and visit and hear from our young people," she explained.
"They really look up to her in our community in Doughiska and she is a real inspiration. It is an honour to celebrate her."
Community and family support worker Elske Bhreatnach said Helen had always balanced numerous projects while continuing to support families across the city.
"She helped me to work on the family support side of things," said Elske.
"She was run off her feet with so many projects. She was just fantastic and I still link in with her around different issues. It is an absolutely joyous day."
While celebrating Mayor Ogbu's appointment, Elske said it was also important to acknowledge the challenges she had faced and the wider significance of her becoming Galway's First Citizen.
"We deal with a lot of racism through our work in the community in Doughiska and it is really empowering to see Helen become Mayor of Galway City," said Elske.
"She struggled during the election campaign with a lot of the trolling and negative comments.
"It is important to talk about it as race is a growing issue – the attacks in Dublin, the riots in Belfast.
"We see that a lot of young people and adults are facing barriers around housing and employment. The colour of your skin does affect you unfortunately and Helen is such a positive role model for people."
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme