The Special Youth Leadership Foundation (TSF), a privately funded social impact organization held its Career Day Program which was themed “The Special Foundation Career Day 2019” on November 14, 2019 at the Lagos City Senior College, Yaba, Lagos State.
The Career Day Program is an initiative of The Foundation’s Mentorship program where professionals in different fields talk to school students about their careers. The Professionals bring the realities of the jobs to the children together with life skills, secrets on how to make careers choices, tips on how to excel, personal success stories and career opportunities.
Seyi Akinwale, Founder of TSF, said, “When we founded the Mentorship Program, we wanted to create a platform where young people can be positively influenced by professionals to create more positive change agents in the community, and also inspire them to dream of a successful and impactful life for themselves, their families and communities.”
“Through the Career day 2019, we were able to reach 270 students and inspire them to dream big and work hard in order to achieve excellence in their chosen fields. We also wanted to show them examples of people in their community they can aspire to be like if they remain focused on their education. We therefore focused our sessions on important life skills and we believe this investment in their lives will lead to a generational impact,” Akinwale further added.
According to the TSF, one major setback with the current system of learning in Nigeria is the lack of practicality or semblance of reality outside the theoretical teachings in the classroom and this produces students who have an idea or notion of how things should be but who are ignorant of the reality. Students have different career aspirations for their future but have no idea what it entails to reach said career aspiration.
Another problem is the notion of “professional courses”. Nigerians refer to some courses as more respectable and prestigious, therefore Parents force children to study these courses even when they have neither the interest nor capability to support such choices. The Special foundation believes that the dream of every child is valid and that every child is special. The mentorship program was therefore founded to ensure that these dreams come true and that the children are linked with opportunities or platforms that will allow them best fulfil their potential.
The aim of the Special Foundation Career day 2019 was to inspire the children to dream of a better future for themselves and to motivate them to make the right career decisions by hearing from the personal experiences of professionals in different fields from the community.
The Career Day program impacted the lives of 270 students in SS 2. The children were inspired by professionals from different fields in topics including Career Choice: Your Interest & Your Subject Combinations, Career Choice: Hard work & Opportunities out there, Finding Self Confidence at a young age, Citizenship and patriotism and Menstrual health and hygiene.
At the end of the different sessions, the children were more confident that their dreams are valid and they are focused on excelling and remaining in school to ensure they have a better future. They were gifted exercise books and snacks. The host school also received a Public Address System.
“The Career day organised by The Special Foundation was amazing. I was privileged to head one of the sessions with the students and I noticed their hunger for learning amongst other things; they want to be better and do better in the society. It is my hope that what we did here today will have a lasting impact. I also hope that the Special Foundation organises more programs like this and I am always ready to support the good work of the foundation.” Mobola Omofolarin, a volunteer said.
Bunmi Bailey
