In March 2019, some of our executive volunteers in the person of Miss Iyanuoluwa Adeshina, Oluwaferanmi Afolabi, and Akinbode Oluwafunmilayo at The Sapphires Development Initiative formerly referred to as TMMCI took part in an outreach organized by The Youngster Foundation Initiative on a 30-day outreach tagged “Female And More”. The major mission, which is geared towards creating awareness to empower young secondary school girls. We reached out to over 250 female secondary school students in classes SS 1-3 and schools like Bibiire International School located at Agaloke-Apata, Ibadan, and Bethel city College at Kuola-Apata, Ibadan.
Using a 30-day assessment scheme, the female students were taught about 30 great women. Some of the women we talked about to challenge these students were: Ibukunoluwa Abiodun Awosika, a Nigerian businesswoman, motivational speaker, and author. Also the former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria and Board member of: Women in Management, Business and Public Service, Late Ameyo Adadevoh who was a Nigerian physician who curbed a wider spread of the Ebola virus in Nigeria by placing the patient zero, Patrick Sawyer, in quarantine despite pressure from the Liberian government, and 28 other great women leaders whose lives and dedication to excellence are worthy of emulation.
The quote “Focus on books and not boys” was coined specially for these students to effectively communicate priority on academic excellence.
Intellectual games like monopoly, scrabble, introspection, and visualizing their future embedded in greatness were also played with the students to help boost their intelligence quotient (IQ).
In conclusion, the Female and more outreach were enlightening, interactive, and fun for both the students and partners alike. Teaching on a range of topics and 30 women leaders challenged not just the female students but also the arbitrators at TSDI to do more and be more.
Feedbacks got from the students and the schools after these outreaches were spectacular and not just that, the confidence of the female students was refined and some overcame their anxieties and self-esteem issues and reached out for counseling after the outreach to become better individuals.
