The Vision for Teenagers Adolescents and Youths Wellbeing Initiative – Nigeria

By Denise Nanni and Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik. In the following our interview Agbaje Olatunde Faliud of the organization TVTAY, The Vision for Teenagers Adolescents and Youthgs wellbeing initiative founded to struggle against poverty and for gender egalitarism in Nigeria.
 
 1
 
How was TVTAY founded and with what objectives?
 The Vision for Teenagers Adolescents and Youths wellbeing initiative was founded many years back by a group of committed graduates and non-graduates. These fellows are youngsters with different vibrant views to achieve a common goal: “Save The Poor”
The idea of TV-TAY Wellbeing Initiative started back in 2003 with a question that “CAN THE POOR HELP THE POOR?” This arose while some of the members argued what can they do to assist the governments? If governments are not doing everything to promote the wellbeing of the citizens, what can be their own contributions to their immediate society and society at large?
Because of the monetary challenge being faced by many of these youngsters, brought the question that“CAN THE POOR HELP THE POOR?” In the glory of this idea, they thought of what they could do to promote their ideas and concepts so as to be able to achieve this goal. They concluded holding meetings at eateries because nobody among them was working even though they were working class to be capable of renting an office.
In the process of doing this, each and every one of the members were mandated to submit a name for the organization. Different members came up with different ideas and views but among all submissions, only the one submitted by MR.OYELANA OLUWASEGUN AND MR. ABDULGANIU IDRIS were chosen which were merged to form STAYWELL GLOBAL INITIATIVE then: Society for Teenagers Adolescents and Youths Wellbeing Global Initiative. Then our activities were not in-depth and practical enough to seek sponsorship either at local or international level. But ideas were generated to anchor few community programmes such as assisting the youths and teenagers by organizing tutorials and one on one academic pieces of advice.
This continued for over years. Many of the members were dropping out their flags to show a clear indication that they would not be able to continue as a result of relocation and some got jobs in a far away cities.
For this idea to materialize I continue with the concepts attending conferences and seminars whether I could meet those who see anyone to assist this concept so as to be able to see the light of the day. I ran from pillar to pillar, seeking assistance from politicos and other philanthropists but all efforts were in total futility until 2009 when I began to meet new set of youths and teenagers who believe the concept could work for general society.
This is how I commenced the struggle with new set of people among them are Mrs. Salvador Zainab Abolanle, Jamiu Olanrewaju Hakeem and Tosin Oladeji Kazeem who happen to be among the board of directors. It was after this we were able to register TVTAY Wellbeing Initiative as The Voice for Teenagers Adolescents and Youths Wellbeing Initiative at Corporate Affairs Commissions. But unexpectedly to our surprise the name was rejected at the final stageof registration because of the word “Voice”which was antagonized as a registered word. We now came together to re-coin it as “Vision” instead of “Voice”.
Today TVTAY Wellbeing Initiative has anchored many programmes in terms of primary healthcare, education at secondary and grass-root levels, offer assistance to orphanage homes and hosts of other activities which can be viewed at social networks such as facebook, twitter and instagram.
The major objective of the organization is to foster assistance to the youths and teenagers for powerful review of their career goal through scholarship and other grant auxiliaries as well as creating egalitarianism to assist our female counterparts achieving their educational goal because of their less privilege feeling in the society.
2. What are the main issues that youngsters face in Nigeria?
2. Well by and large, lots of issues probably challenges are faced by many youngsters in Nigeria because of many factors but will be categorized under twofold which can be aligned with governance and lack personal orientation of the youths themselves.
Governance as in and of government as aforementioned has not in any way inspired many youths in Nigeria to exploit their career goals because of lack of information and education. Let us take a look at this from educational perspective.
 Look at the educational monitoring system in the country. Many young female and male students even to the primary school level indulge in abusive sex buhaha because of lack of monitoring system.
Many of these students are not properly monitored by parents and governments to the level that secondary school students indulge in cultism which makes and diverts their reasonable attentions away from their career objectives. When the system of education is dilapidating in the country, it emerges many set back. Many infrastructural knavery cannot be overemphasized. This means the standard of education is not enjoyable by public school pupils and students. It is recently Lagos State government is putting many infrastructures in place for better learning of high school students and primary school pupils.
Parents are not encouraged by governments to encourage their children as a result of setback in political, economic and social issues. Many youths and teenagers are singularly frustrated because of lack of employment opportunities, high cost of education and low living standard of these so-called Nigerian youths. Many are used as political rogues to attack their counterparts because they do not have sustainable means of living existence. Millions of Nigerian young males cherish money than dignity. Many marriageable ladies are yet to marry because many young males are shy away from their responsibilities as a result of lack of determinants. Who are to blame? Not only governments because youths themselves lack concrete orientations among themselves.
The reason is because they allow their problems to overwhelm them. The have given opportunities to economic balderdash to control their thoughts. They no longer think straight because everything in the country seems to be in pandemonium. They are not ready to learn from their past mistakes and allow politicos to use them as agents of disaster for brutal killings among themselves.
Until many of these youths realize their career objective, future and country (Nigeria) are in common goal, believe these three things have consanguinity to plan a better future for this generation and generations to come. They will continue to fall victim to pathological politicos liars. They will not realize their mistakes until they grow old to become irrelevant to their society. How many politicos have come to address these youths on the prevailing issues affecting them? If they have, how many times have they come? If they have, how many times have they used “A” out of “SMART” as to take action towards their promises to the youths? Loll! But the youths are not even coming together to address this issue.
Many things are going wrong day and night among the youths themselves without any one to take the bull the horn to stop or address it because their brains are in merry-go-round. In a nut shell Nigerian youngster faces educational challenges, employment disaster and poor leadership control by political liars which have turned out to make some to become drug addicts, cultists, political rogues and touts, area boys and street nuisance.
What are the main activities of TVTAY?
The major activities of TVTAY can be grouped into three viz: education, primary/community Healthcare and Environmental activities.
How would you define your approach?
TVTAY approach to community activities is inspired and flexible to correct many wrong impressions of our youths and teenagers due to various mind-disabusing programmes organizing for the social groups to instigate societal sustainability and community growth.
What projects do you carry on in regards to gender egalitarianism?
TVTAY is always on the verge of organizing debate and other activities such as physical competitions which involves both parties so as to be able to clear the status and wrong view of people in the community that only male youths or teenagers are capable of doing some things in the society.
This idea is used to promote a better understanding of what is lexicographically called “egalitarianism”.
Do you cooperate with local authorities and institutions? If yes, how?
Definitely, there is no how TVTAY Wellbeing Initiative will not co-operate with local institutions because this is the only avenue that can quickly allow youths and teenagers to come together for societal advancement.
Although concerning the issue with authority, many of our programmes will always seek this. We have anchored community health programme in more than two local governments and there is no way our organization will not seek their consent as the local authorities so that security and other assistance if not financial can be granted at ease.

 

https://promosaik.blogspot.com.tr/2017/04/the-vision-for-teenagers-adolescents.html