Mentoring, Skill Empowerment’ll Shape Youths To Become Responsible Adults – NGO
•By Suliah Oyebukola, Ibadan
IBADAN – Mentoring and skills empowerment have been identified as tools that will shape youths to grow into responsible and accountable adults.
The Founder, Shining Stars Initiative International(SSII) a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Dr Omokehinde Deji-Akinpelu, during the closing ceremony and presentation of Certificates to participants of a 10- day intensive training on Tech Skill for graduates and undergraduates.
The SSII which is now known as Shining Stars Global Impact Foundation, held the event at the Dominican University, Samonda, Ibadan, where Deji- Akinpelu, maintained that “when a child, teenager and youth are properly mentored and exposed to the process of leadership early enough, they grow into responsible and accountable adults.”
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She said that mentoring would impact the teenagers and youths with positive values toward having a right attitude to life and make them to be productive in the society.
Speaking on the social vices’ menace among the youths, the SSII boss opined that parents and guardians needed to play their parts in ensuring that their kids and wards grow up responsibly.
“Though the prevailing economic situation in Nigeria might really make parents and guardians to be preoccupied but they must find time to be really into what their children are doing. Not just instructing them, because they see us demonstrating what we are instructing them to do, but be part of their lives.
“They are cautious of the fact that their parents are part of their lives, in one way of the other, that help them to first psychologically responsible. From what they know psychologically, they can demonstrate and become better in the society,” she said.
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She also urged teachers/lecturers to play role of mentor, “not only to instruct or teach but move closer and relate with students.”
Deji-Akinpelu further said that SSII, now known as Shining Stars Global Impact Foundation, a nonprofit and non-gender-biased organisation, was birthed out of the burden about moral decadence and character defects that has become the norm in them.
She said SSII was primarily focused on mentoring and capacity development for the teenagers/ youths “and also inculcate positive values into our mentees “and they are encouraged to imbibe right attitude that helps them in their perspectives to life.
“It is set out to address pertinent issues and peculiar challenges facing our youths; to raise qualified individuals who can influence and bring a positive change to the society through their spheres of influence.
“Again, we take into cognizance how the economic state of the nation and the world is driving parents from homes. The pressure of catering for the families has consequently turned some parents and guardians into strangers or visitors in their homes.
“As they are not readily available to counsel/advise and offer emotional support for their children or wards, especially in the instances when these children/wards urgently need them. So this is another gap SSII is ready to fill,” she said.
The SSII founder further explained that the organisation, after a while, realised that it’s beyond just mentoring, because some of the youths also needed to acquire skills to complement degrees they were holding.
“So empowerment projects were added to the mentoring, and over the years, we have been doing that, besides, we have educational projects where we invite speakers to talk to the youths so as as to make them better,” she said.
She explained that the 10- day intensive training on Tech Skill for graduates and undergraduates was another series of her NGO’s mission on skill empowerment projects.
The training on Tech skill featured Graphic Designs; Projects Management tools; Ms Office suites among other courses.
In his brief lecture, tagged “Grow that Seed”, Prof Seyi Osunade, a Computer Scientist from the University of Ibadan, charged the training participants to maximise the knowledge gained.
Osunade described seed as what someone have, which has the potential of multiplying. “So what you have been given today is a bit of knowledge which you have to use if you have to grow that seed.”
He implored the participants who comprised graduates and undergraduate students, to ignore things that could not have positive impacts on their future but to focus on ‘seeds’ that would better their life.
Speaking on behalf of other participants, Bernard Adegebo, said the knowledge gained during the training would enhance their efforts toward achieving their goals.
Adeagbo appreciated the SSII founder for her passion in youths becoming world phenomena and shining stars in character, conduct and competence.