An NGO, Valued Girls Foundation, says it has trained 100 students from public schools in Bariga area of Lagos State on good communications, social etiquette and personal leadership traits.
Its Founder, Miss Temitope Udom, made this known at the flag-off and speed mentoring ceremony tagged: “Project Groom Room Bariga” on Saturday in Lagos.
Udom said that grooming of the students was necessary life skills which would help them to compete with their peers from affluent families before proceeding to tertiary institutions.
“Effective communication skills and social etiquette will expose and assist the participants to have good interaction in the larger society.
“It will also teach them on how to perform better by being effective and conquering self-sabotaging behaviours,” she said.
Udom said that this project would positively contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with indicator 4.3 which says more improvement of literacy rate of 15 – 24 years old.
“We aim to empower and equip students in underserved schools and communities with requisite life skills and relevant learning experience.
“We plan to reduce the learning gap between indigent and affluent students, especially in reading and communication.
“Due to the lack of defined structure of many indigent schools among other things, the students are deprived of extra-curricular learning experience.
“It goes a long way in fully preparing and equipping them for the next phase of their lives and proper interaction in the society at large,” she said.
Udom said that with the partnership with Bariga Local Government area and volunteer facilitators, there would be intensive boot camp meetings for the beneficiaries.
She also urged the Federal Government to increase budgetary allocation for education, and employ the right education professional into the sector.
Also speaking, Mr Omolara Ahmed, Head of Education, Bariga Local Government, called on more private organisations to partner with the council in order to improve the student’s life skills and education system.
Ahmed said that the grooming mentoring would expose the students to a lot of things such as achieving their dreams and discovering their talents.
“I am so excited that the foundation brought the grooming programmes to our local government area.
“We also discover that lots of children are living with their guardians or stepmothers, which affect their expressions and communications,” she said.
Commenting, Mrs Ezinne Ezeani, Founder, She Can Nigeria, an NGO, said that every teenager needs to have good communication skills and social etiquette so they could be successful in future. Ezeani advised the students to always have self-confidence no matter their homes and schools background which could help them to compete favourably with their mates.
Also, Mr Oluwayemi Odubote, Founder, Imey Reach Foundation, another NGO, said that developing and understanding personal leadership at the early stage would make them to be successful and influence their societies. Odubote said that personal leadership was very important, not by age or gender, which could help anybody to attain a good position in life.
“Students should know that education is beyond only reading books, but also having attributes of leaders, such as humility, helping people and so on, will help them to be a good leader,” he said.
