Successful Completion of Project Teach A Teen

The month of June was a very productive one for us at Teens Going for Gold Network as we undertook a community service project in partnership with eight participants of the Young African Leaders Initiative West Africa, Nigeria, Cohort 2. The Project was borne out of the need to teach valuable soft and vocational skills that teenagers need upon graduation from Secondary school in order to survive in a county like Nigeria with a population of more than 160  million people. Carried out in three states of Nigeria, the main focus of the project was enterprise education (how to start and sustain a business), ethics and leadership training and vocational skills. The Project Teach A Teen train moved through Edo, Lagos and Oyo states of Nigeria from the 11th to the 23rd of June 2017.

In Edo state, our host school was Bishop Gordons College, in Oyo state, we were at Bioku Aladun Grammar School and Lerato Comprehensive College was our stop in Lagos. It was an all-in-one package and we are certain that it was a valuable experience for the teenagers who participated. There were sessions on business literacy, ethics and leadership,  career development and there was a creative writing session for the Lagos centre only. In the three centers the project was very rewarding as the teenagers were very eager to learn and indeed they learnt! The vocational skills learnt include Bag Making, Shoe Making, Make Up and Tying of Gele (indigenous headgear), soap and perfume making of dressing accessories and Customizing of T-shirts. We appreciate all the amazing facilitators and volunteers that made this happen.

We hereby use this medium to encourage parents and care givers irrespective of their social status to encourage their children/wards to learn vocational skills because this will be valuable to them in the long run. It is also advisable that you encourage them to have a knowledge seeking habit and a value based character. When they are home for holidays encourage them to work, do an internship or take part in a volunteer service. In the end, you will have a child you can be proud to call your own and in the long run, a Nigeria we all we can be proud of!