Teens and their tight fits, yes their tight, childish and sometimes frightful fits especially when they get ‘walked up’ by their peers, teachers and oftentimes parents.

They could become resentful and if to the extreme, hateful and rebellious, declining every iota of advice given by adults hence the possibility of great fall into the unforeseen.

Quite a large percentage in many parts of the world today shows untamed, wild teenagers who in their world of fancy or fantasy tag themselves as adults BUT UNREADY TO DO THE ADULT NEEDFULL.

This youthful exuberance and carefree attitude more or less opened the sight of Chizoba Imoka to the wailing agony of teens especially the African teens in 2006 to establish Unveiling Africa Foundation at the University of Alberta for the purpose of creating a platform for Africans in Diaspora to take ownership for Africa’s development even from a distance.

Visions thus became clearer for UVA, UVA a foundation that has become a major voice for African teenagers (9 – 19 years) in matters relating to empowerment and social change. And so in the bid to give more meaning to teenagers’ lives, UVA provided a platform such that capacity in its five nation-building schemes would be developed, they include; Academics, Community Service, Leadership, Career skills, and Social Interaction.

With a strong belief in developing generations of Africans who are critical, creative, problem solvers and passionate about social change, UVA in 2010, thus narrowed its focus to Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria. Since then, UVA has worked with more than 2000 teenagers across twenty secondary schools and impacted over 3000 teenagers and young adults.

Going by Nigerian Secondary Schools, Chizoba Imoka said that UVA has transcended to being a champion for teenagers by providing a platform to develop and showcase their leadership skills through transformative civics, political and community building projects.

Through UVA’s school clubs called Transformers and UVA’s teen network, UVA teenagers have reached and impacted more than 3,500 Nigerians through various initiatives such as the annual Days of a Change leadership program. In addition to this feat, UVA has raised more than $30,000 for various social change projects like bus purchases for physically challenged youth, charity donation to internally displaced camps and construction of soup kitchens. Through UVA’s career development program – Pathfinder, UVA has guided JSS3 students to choose their academic specialization in senior schools, disbursing about $15,000 in academic scholarships to 20 students across Nigeria.

The founder reiterated that UVA engages with teenagers and advocates for critical inclusion and justice. In August 2015, UVA, Chizoba said began an advocacy campaign in Nigeria for the inclusion of history and indigenous culture in Nigeria’s education system. The foundation also organized a cultural leadership program that involved 150 Nigerian students learning about their pre-colonial history and taking action for social change in their communities. The culminating event in that month was a conference (Advocacy for Inclusive Education Summit) that became a platform for students to share their schooling experiences with policymakers, parents, teachers and school owners. The resolution from the conference was later presented to officials at the Nigerian Ministry of Education

Unveiling Africa, through a broader scope of knowledge thus included more programmes for the teens which were tagged (UVA’s School Club):

The first which is, I AM, WE ARE, is a civics focused program that educates young Nigerians about the Child Rights Act. Through the Act, students from public and private schools are brought together to learn about their responsibilities and rights as young citizens.

Days of Change is focused on personal and cultural leadership. Young Nigerians are given a platform to reflect on their lives as leaders in the span of 6-8 weeks, nurture their cultural identity and identify social issues they care about. This event always culminates with a summit where students get to present their learning to a cross-section of education stakeholders.

Back to School for Two: Upon returning to school in September, club members in the private school network are encouraged to bring back an extra bag of school supplies for students who may be prevented from going to schools due to poverty.

With the creepy ugly-looking walls, the bugs, the sour meals, the horrible re-sounding noise, the very hard labor, the early mornings and late nights and some more are some of the unending nightmares that abound in the 8-by-7 foot cell which is usually filled with bleakness and drudgery dressed with an unknown tomorrow cum a deafening solitude that leaves one thinking if there would ever be a rise to yet another setting sun and the imprisoned fervently looking forward to doing the ever wished and the ever longed-for long walk to freedom.

These days, prisons are not fine places. They are not friendly-looking either, a place one never wishes to pay a friend nor foe a visit. Like the free who never dreams to lose her liberty while the captive forever prays, longs and awaits total freedom.

The prison, more often than not, house innocents that are unfortunately tagged criminals and become victims of circumstance, through no faults of theirs find themselves behind bars and often times waste away. These ugly situations gave rise to Step To Life, a foundation that is ready to give back to humanity and ensuring that human rights are not infringed upon.

Established in 1997, Step To Life Nigeria envisions building a sustainable Human Rights Culture and good governance in Nigeria and Africa assisting its citizenry to live in dignity and with a mission to contribute to the overall quality of life of Nigerians through proper education, youth and socio-economic development and an holistic approach to the wellbeing of families as the building blocks of the society through the promotion of physical, mental and spiritual health programmes.

The president of STLN, Mr Fela Bright with well over 24 years experience as a strategic behaviour communicator and several interactions with inmates in prisons opines that life is too short to be wasted away without achievements or impacts, stating that for whatever reasons any human spend in the four walls of a prison does not make him less of a being, citing the likes of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, that even though they were locked up for years and not criminals, the beauty, Mr Bright said was that they did not wallow in the predicament and at last freedom came to them and they became heroes at the long run.

On impacts and achievements of Step To Life Nigeria, Mr Bright had a list which includes: advocacy for the inauguration of the statutory Three Publishing Houses supporting GCE/WASC Preparatory Classes for inmates and provisional approval for the prison being used as an examination centre by JAMB pending the request being formalised by the Prison authorities. STLN worked in several prisons – Aba, Agodi (Ibadan), Olokuta (Akure), Oke-Kura (Ilorin), Kuje (Abuja) and others as Consultants and became fully involved in HIV/AIDS cases even for the inmates.

STNL went ahead to initiate, implement and evaluate programmes and services on Human Rights; conducted training, seminars and workshops on human rights as it relates to good governance, gender and other related issues; initiated and promoted advocacy on prison reforms, gender and other human rights issues; collaborated and built networks with local, national and international agencies and organisations on programming services for the enhancement of human rights and education especially among the youths.

According to Mr Bright, he said that working with some of the prison inmates and security agents to combat crime was a huge success which gave rise to the active involvement of the foundation with the Nigeria Prison Services and the National Human Rights Commission which in turn gave birth to free services from lawyers.

The president of STNL further stated that the sponsored TV programmes for female in 2007/2008 also recorded another huge success which had a positive influence on several women and young girls.

Not failing to mention STNL’s joy that knew no bound when the foundation appealed and won the death sentence case passed on a convict, Saka, who was on death row at the Federal Court of Appeal, Ilorin in 2007. HE WAS RELEASED. Mr Bright in this euphoria gladly stated that this came as a major victory for the lawyers that provided the free services and stated further that STLN as a consistent human right foundation will not relent but continue to fight for and serve humanity.

In a world where the next best buddy is the multifaceted crisis, and multi arms awakened always to the everyday excruciating pains that even the world’s own very best are yet to find lasting solutions, the thoughts of the patients easily discerned, “the world is gradually closing in”.

These thoughts are often present in the circle of these very special people. From childhood and unto adulthood they are seen spending better parts of their lives in and out of hospitals with very few living normal lives.

Sickle-cell disease (SCD), also known as sickle-cell anemia (SCA) and drepanocytosis, is a hereditary blood disorder, characterized by an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin molecule in red blood cells. This leads to a propensity for the cells to assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle-like shape under certain circumstances. Sickle-cell disease is associated with a number of acute and chronic health problems, such as severe infections, attacks of severe pain (“sickle-cell crisis”), and stroke, and there is an increased risk of death.

Sickle-cell disease occurs when a person inherits two abnormal copies of the hemoglobin gene, one from each parent. Several subtypes exist, depending on the exact mutation in each hemoglobin gene. A person with a single abnormal copy does not experience symptoms and is said to have sickle cell trait

Recognizing all these existing painful facts willed Miss Oluwatoyin Adesola even stronger and more resolute in her call to serve the sickle cell patients.

“You may have a sickle cell but sickle cell should not have you”. This motivating statement Miss Oluwatoyin Adesola a sickle cell advocate, a motivational speaker and an author who is fondly referred to as STILL STANDING utter always to allay her fear and reassure herself of life in abundance. She further voiced that “my greatest fear was that I would just die without achieving anything…”

Today, Miss Adesola’s decision to confront her deepest fear and who is also intensely passionate about absolute health care delivery went ahead to establish her foundation stating the need for accurate information, diagnosis et all for sickle cell patients. She further explained that doctors are increasingly finding it difficult prescribing the right medications due to different cases of crises of patients.

The crux of the matter according to Miss Adesola is that patients need to be well informed about their drugs, food, vegetables, water, and so many supplement intakes. According to her, she said that the bodies of these patients are quite different, hence “what works for A might not work for B” she added.

Recognizing this fact, she enjoins sickle cell patients to put social media into good use for much easier access to beneficial information which can help provide emotional and health stability.

She noted that ever since she became her own small doctor by going on line to learn more about this disease, she has been able to embrace it and love her life more. Although no fault of hers born with the disease, she advised carriers who intend to be coupled to think it through before subjecting their unborn children through pains.

As part of the effort in giving some of these patients some sense of belonging, Miss Oluwatoyin Adesola saw the need to establish a foundation in 2006.

Sickle Cell Advocacy and Management Initiative (SAMI) which believes in making life possible has gone all out to make meaningful impacts through their awareness, edutainment  and support programmes  which include the extra care clinic ,club still standing, touch a cell dance-a-thon, red umbrella walk , touch a cell with Toyin Adesola and still standing publication.

By the sheer size of Nigeria, she remains one of the most affected countries in the world, it is estimated that the prevalence of sickle cell disease is 2-3% of its population and that 150,000 babies are born every year with sickle cell anemia. She, therefore, enjoins other NGOs to rise to the occasion of creating more awareness and ensuring that adequate treatment is being given so much so that these patients would enjoy however short their lifespan may be.

With this prevalence, there is a great and undeniable need for children and young adults to know their hemoglobin genotype status Miss Adesola concluded.

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, there are 126 million women operating new businesses and another 98 million at the helm of established ones this millennium. Ever before now, in the earlier centuries, it had been unusual for women and girls to work alongside husbands and brothers in the family business, they were to be seen and never heard.

Globally, no country has fully attained gender equality. In some places, women still lack rights to own lands or to inherit property, obtain access to a credit facility or even earn a living. To date, girls still make up a higher percentage of out-of-school children than boys. Approximately one-quarter of girls in the developing world do not attend school while an educated girl is more likely to postpone marriage, raise a smaller family, have healthier children, and send her own children to school.

Guaranteeing the rights of females and giving them opportunities to reach their full potential is critical not only for attaining gender equality but also for meeting a wide range of international development goals. Empowered women and girls contribute to the health and productivity of their families, communities, and countries adding to her sense of self-worth, her decision-making power, her access to opportunities and resources, her power and control over her own life inside and outside the home, and her ability to effect change.

For most well-grounded self-worth of women to in the society propelled late Prof. Jadesola Akande establish Iyalode Wuraola Esan Foundation (IWEF) on March 2006 in memory of her late mother, Iyalode Wuraola Esan, the first female Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She was the first educated Iyalode of Ibadan land in Oyo State and the proprietress of the first privately owned girls’ secondary school in Ibadan and she, throughout her lifetime fought for the good and advancement of female gender in the society.

Envisioned to change societal attitude which perceived successful female in public as exception and aberrations, the foundation ensured to catch girls young by empowering them through education, sensitization and skills acquisition, boosting their self-confidence to seek and actualize their potentials to the fullest, training students (mainly out of school girls and ladies from poor background) and making English Language, Computer studies, health education and small scale business studies compulsory for them. Various skills such as fashion designing, hairdressing, make -up, catering, decoration, arts, photography and video coverage, beads stringing, tie and die, petroleum jelly, nylon production, and hat-making are some of the numerous skills to be learned.

Aside from the skills acquisition for young ladies, housewives are constantly trained on gene maintenance, small scale business studies, health education, tie and dye, beads stringing, soap making, drinks making, decoration and petroleum jelly production.

IWEF has proudly trained 176 females since its inception. While the yearly training has seen participants receiving lectures on the importance of saving and the need to open an individual account.

The coordinator of IWEF said that constant follow up on graduates and training them on the best way to maintain and sustain their businesses is one huge goal the foundation has been able to achieve. Stating further that a woman is human and that girls must risk everything for freedom, equality and passion, a passion that would transform to a desire to make her life into poetry, that would become distinct, beautiful and meaningful, which would create a life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in her imagination which will, in turn, transform the society around her.

Speaking on if NGOs can completely be independent of the government IWEF’s coordinator said that it is very possible in as much as advocacies are pushed successfully and both parties ensure to work hand in hand to achieve their common goals.

In 2012, an estimated 1.6 million people were living with HIV and roughly 57,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.

Until 2002, various organizations and international institutions yielded different estimates of children orphaned by AIDS and various sicknesses around the world.

Almost every day buildings lie in rubble, water is scarce, food miles away, parents indisposed and the children, are among millions of youngsters in need of humanitarian aids following different devastating disasters.

Yet these challenges seem not to inhibit children in the pathway of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria many thanks to Freky Andrew Essien Care Foundation who in the year 2013 made all necessary steps in giving to the society most especially the vulnerable children.

Miss. Andrews, the Executive Director objectives are; to enhance the wellbeing of children, youths, women and persons living with disability, empowering vulnerable groups, to assist and provide support and services education, nutrition, psychosocial support, health to the targeted vulnerable groups, advocating for better life policies for these vulnerable groups and creating a platform of expression for children, youths and persons living with HIV/AIDS.

“Our vision is to add value to target vulnerable groups” This statement was made by Miss Andrews emphasizing on their huge need and ensuring the needs of these special groups in the society are met.

FAECARE’s Executive director further stated that in spite of some challenges they have faced as a foundation, some achievements have also been recorded which are the integration of children from different backgrounds and status to creating an enabling environment to pass values and morals, provision of basic support services, educational and psychological support.

Mrs. Andrews who made mention of an excellent start in life for children said the motivation and sensitization campaigns were largely meant for the youths, the aim which is to engage them  in having confidence, self-worth, making smart goals and developing value systems that would guide them in right decision making as regarding their education and lifestyle choices. Medical services to children and their mothers in the community, (malaria, ITNs, treatment, free medical consulting, drugs, HCT, Deworming, etc.) and welfare materials services to the people of the community, all these have been freely given and she hopes there would be positive transformation through these laudable acts, she concluded.

In the age range of 14 and 15 most girls are thinking of clothes, parties and having mad awesome fun. For many girls, teenage pregnancy comes with a lack of parenting. Some girls lack this knowledge hence misbehaving all the way while some feel that they are neglected or abandoned by their loved ones. Hence they go off doing the abnormal which later spans to a huge regret and life becomes pretty difficult for them.

The average number of births for every 1,000 girl aged 15 to 19 is approximately 15 in European Union countries. The United States with 64 births per year for every 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 also has a high rate.

While Africa having the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy, a factor that affects the health, education, and earning potential of millions of African girls, according to United Nations Population Fund’s report investing in them today should become a high priority for the society in order to shape humanity’s future.

Becoming pregnant at too young an age can distort a young woman’s development, limiting education and lifetime opportunities. For infants born to teenage mothers, the years of early childhood may be marked by poverty, poor care, and instability, which could heighten problems from one generation to the next.

Teen pregnancy has reached massive consequences both for mother and child. Mothers face higher risks of complications in childbirth and their infants are at greater risk of prematurity, low birth weights, death in the first year of life, and developmental problems.

Linking the best possible ways in ensuring the lives of teens and their babies are well protected, nourished and cherished, this life-giving impact propelled the ED of Feed The Flock Foundation, a graduate of Analytical Chemistry to dedicate her service to these wearied teenagers while travelling around the country as an editor.

Thus in 2007, she diversified into majorly caring for pregnant teenage mothers, which would lead to a reduction in mortality rates amongst infants, youths and mothers.

This unfriendly issue practically led to the establishment of Feed the Flock Foundation to go out of their ways to care for teenage pregnant mothers, their babies, youths, children and women.

Feed The Flock Foundation, going by statistics which shows a high rate of infant mortality is committed to the restoration of destinies of teenage mothers in the society: socially, educationally, emotionally, and spiritually.

The foundation is en-burdened to take over the responsibilities of girls’ rights from their pregnancy states to deliveries.

With the visions and missions of restoring hope for teenage mothers and commitment to the upliftment of destinies of Teenage Mothers in the society through spiritual and total welfare package, Feed the Flock Foundation has thus far ensured that teenage mothers are well taken care of from pregnancy to delivery, baby care, back to school for the mothers, development and training of the babies to University levels hence the provisions for: distribution of educational handbills, translated into major Nigeria languages, housing for teenage mothers and their babies, provision of medical facilities as needed, orphanage system to receive abandoned babies and single mothers, educational development and training of the children.

Mrs. Oluwafemi moved ahead to organizing talks in Primary and Secondary Schools, Market places and Worship centers, organizing seminars on Sex Education with emphasis on Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD, HIV/AIDS and other plagues, organizing free training on skill acquisition, both indoor and outdoor thereby and empower the ambitious ones, visiting government-owned hospitals, especially pro- and prenatal wards, organizing talks and rendering other assistance required, organizing extra teaching for students preparing for examination into Tertiary Institutions and lastly Feed the Flock Foundation who is also engaged in subsistence farming has done a great deal in putting food on the tables of the teenage mothers and their babies.

The overall well-being of youths has sharply declined in the last few years and the chances that these youths might be prone to criminal activities and tend for the worse have even become more than doubled and of course a course of worry for parents, the society and the nation at large.

Youths, the future of the nation and the driving force of tomorrow wills more than ever to lay down her own quota to the development of the nation but typically and ever so unfortunate it has become that the hopes of these young lads always are dashed to shreds.

Looking at the plurality of labor market, financial and unemployment challenges that young people face, one could expect that national policies should address the long-term problems of young people and that the crisis should act as a facilitator in this respect.

For these unfortunate incidences to be forever forgotten, forsaken and never re-visited at least not in this part of the world again made HillCity Foundation compelled to take action, believing that every young person needs hope, love, care, direction, motivation and support, in order to discover, develop and deploy their potentials maximally. Founded on infallible principles of life in the year 2004, HCF envisions to discover, develop and deploy young destinies to enable them to fulfill their potentials in life maximally.

Soares Oladamola, The Executive Administrator of HillCity foundation said that the foundation particularly aims to discover, develop and deploy young destinies to fulfil their purpose in life even amidst all the challenges of life. This is achieved through carefully designed programmes as captured as 4 AXIS OF IMPACT which are: educational support programme, mentorship programme, self-discovery and personal development programme and economic empowerment programme.

Through the Educational Support Programme, HCF supports young university undergraduates through an annual scholarship scheme. The mentorship programme seeks to discover, recover and maximize the destinies of young lives. While the self-discovery and personal development programme wills to assist young lives to discover, develop and deploy their potentials. The last axe which is economic empowerment programme also seeks to empower young lives by assisting young graduates to start-up business by empowering them with start-up capital.

Mr. Soares Oladamola, with a gladsome heart affirmed the achievements of HCF, that from inception till date, said the foundation has been able to award over 500 University Scholarships through the educational support programme, Over 600 mentees have gone through the HCF Mentorship Programme, the foundation has also been able to organize several self-discovery seminars on the platform of the Self Discovery programme and the foundation also organized several self-discovery seminars on the platform of the Self Discovery Programme which has received lots of laudable ovation from the declared testimonies.

“Overall, it seems that younger generations indeed face several systematic issues more than previous generations, but adequate individual, family and state support are still largely lacking. Hopefully the society and the government do not realize it when it is late that in order to maintain a well-functioning economy and society, younger generations need a firm footing in the job market and all other areas of the economy with ample stability” concluded Mr. Oladamola

There is no doubt that Nigeria is fast becoming a nation with a compassionate heart that seeks the genuine welfare of her citizenry even amidst the backbreaking and aching hardship that has seen needy Nigerians cry for help.

Although, few have embraced hardship as a way of life and have just a little glimpse of hope, while some again, every day, looking up to heaven like the biblical David for where their help will come from.

Luxury has thus become a far cry for these special people, a thick line between that man residing in a sky scrapper and that lowly who sleeps and wakes in the slum.

Joseph and Eunice Oladaiye Memorial, a heart-warming foundation in the city of Lagos, Lekki since 2008 has been around to give these sets of people hope and succour.

JEOF is passionately dedicated to the provision of support services to the less privileged and underserved children, youths, women and the aged people in the society.

It is in the light of this, the foundation’s core values which are social responsibility, empowerment, resourcefulness ,value addition,integrity,compassion and  enterprise are being woven into three which are educational development programmes ,healthcare improvement initiatives,community,youth and women empowerment programme to transform the society through its innovative community involvement, strategize to bridge the gap between the needies and the affluent in the society.

According to JEOF, education remains one of the most powerful weapons in fighting poverty, as no nation can grow beyond the knowledge base of its citizenry. At JEOF education is not viewed as a means to an end but a productive investment in the life of every disadvantaged and vulnerable child and youth to help them break the circle of poverty in their families, communities and the nation as a whole. Their educational programmes which indeed are still transforming lives include:

*Stay In School Programme; this includes full scholarship awards to orphans and vulnerable children and youths

*School Infrastructure Development And Teachers Training: Provision of a conducive environment for learning. The foundation also offers training to teachers to better equip them in handling the challenging academic needs of students especially in the areas of ICT.

*Read To Lead Library Project; Reading habit has drastically declined amongst students hence the availability of standard libraries where students would be inspired and challenged to learn.

Ordinarily, It is believed that health is wealth. A Truly healthy man will sure create a vibrant touch that will be a force to be reckoned with in his area of specialty this has also made JEOF undertake various health improvement initiatives ranging from primary and environmental health care services, provisions of first Aid equipment, running community and people-centered awareness health campaigns, malaria prevention, and treatment and some more. Meanwhile, in the areas in which the healthcare improvement initiative has been introduced, it has been recorded that the living conditions of residents as regards health has significantly improved.

The foundation further noted that the last of the three core values which are vocational and skill acquisition programmes cum youth engagement through sports and recreation development have seen both youths and women alike coming alive to this amazing life-changing initiative through the monetary benefits given to them through its microfinance scheme. Not forgetting the active engagement of youths to national development to promoting the culture of peace and enabling social cohesion.

Mr. Oladaiye concluded by giving kudos and acknowledging the power of unity of Sports, stating that sports all over Is widely known to capture the attention of youths and this advertently will help propel them to be greater productive,

Mr. Oladaiye did not fail to mention the very special projects which include visits to old people’s homes and community centers to provide support to the most vulnerable in the society and provision of support to the disables. The foundation has visited several orphanages most recent is the Heart of Gold Hospice, a home for children with disabilities in Lagos. Some of their impacts and achievements include: donation of essential educational materials to over 2500pupils of students of Ayebode schools in Ekiti State, donation of nutritional support to orphanages, Lekki, Lagos State, donation of wheelchair and other medical support for the disabled, promotion of sports and recreational activities to youths through the JEOF annual community football tournament with over 3000youths positively engaged and mentored, provision of potable water in the school environment across public schools in Ekiti State, Construction of a secured bus stop for transit passengers in the community, sponsorship of annual prize-giving ceremonies for students, teachers and non academic staff in secondary schools

In the bid to realize progressive results from NGOs across the country, Mr. Oladaiye  gave reasons NGOs should not be completely independent of the government  stating that NGOs are major contributors to the development processes and  many of which are determined by the relationship which should be cordial between the NGO sector and the state also stating further, he said  that whatever organization exists in a society operates within the stipulated rules of the government . As such the government regulates the operations of every organization for accountability and transparency.

He further noted that a healthy relationship is conceivable when both parties share common objectives, giving an instance that if the government’s commitment to poverty reduction is weak then NGOs will find dialogue and collaboration frustrating or even counter-productive .He, therefore, urged the government to be proactive to the needs of her people

With the philosophy Service To Humanity, indeed JEOF has made and still making its footprints on the sand of time and it is no small wonder that over 5000 lives have been touched and positively impacted.