*It’s a catch-them-young initiative, says Founder Hajia Yahya
*Mentorship is the best approach to nurture leaders: Hajia AbdulQadri
Hajia Aminat Yahya, a Director at the Lagos State Ministry of Education has continued to counsel and mentor Nigerian youths in Lagos through her non-governmental organisation, The Zenith Pathfinders.
Now registered as Yahya Aminat Foundation, the NGO was founded three years ago to train individuals who will in turn go to primary and secondary schools to mentor young leaders and prepare them for the future.
The foundation has since grown in leaps and bounds, raising mentees every year and guiding youngsters on their academics, career and all life endeavours. Year after year, more mentors and mentees join the train to benefit from the founder’s vision.
This year, the Foundation, in conjunction with Mentors Connect produced over 72 mentors and graduated no fewer than 233 mentees from eight districts/local government areas of Lagos from her leadership and mentorship training programme.
The third graduation ceremony was held on separate dates at all the districts. It kicked off on Monday, 19th of August at Anuoluwapo Central Mosque, Oshodi, with 17 mentors and 33 mentees. It came to an interesting end on Tuesday, 3rd of September, at Muslim Community Central Mosque, Amuwo/Apapa district area of Lagos, with 10 mentors and 44 mentees.
Muslim News was at Wamon Taofeek Central Mosque in Abule Egba, the Ifako/Ijaye venue on Monday, 2nd of September, 2024 to witness the celebration that produced 10 mentors and 38 mentees.
The Founder and CEO congratulated the graduands for their accomplishments, stressing that the Foundation is to serve as a tool to catch the young minds early for their future engagements, hence the reason it organised the mentorship programme.
She said: “We’re here today to celebrate the mentors and mentees. I mean teachers in public primary and secondary schools cum the students they mentored throughout the last session. Each of the mentors was tasked to relate with at least two mentees”
Hajia Yahya expressed satisfaction with the level of training given to the mentees, saying she has confidence that they can now take any leadership position and excel in that regard.
The Director-General of Education at the Lagos State Ministry of Education encouraged the trainees to show their dexterity in their various fields of endeavour and bring to bare the trainings they have received for the benefit of all.
She observed that mentoring is essential to save the inexperienced youths from suicide and other menace.
According to her, “Looking at our society, the importance of mentoring can not be overemphasized. The youths go through a lot and get overwhelmed, that they resort to suicide and other menace. We see it in the news and hear it everyday. However, with mentoring, an informed and experienced elder can guide them, rekindle their hope and give the assurance they need.
Compliment mentorship with teaching, Deputy Director
Guest Speaker at the event, the Deputy Director at the Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs Kudroh Ogunmuyiwa gave ample illustrations on the essence of leveraging mentorship.
The present Amirah, FOMWAN Oshodi/Isolo Local Government added that the state government is doing everything possible to ensure that the school does not only teach the young citizens but also mentors them to become better versions of themselves.
She said: “Lagos State is actually making intentional efforts in respect to mentoring and counselling of the younger generation. Although there’s room for improvement, but the state has been training teachers continuously, taking them of their comfort zones to sensitize and remind of other duties aside from teaching, which include mentoring and modelling. So, the state is doing so much in that regard.
“The state also welcomes collaboration and volunteering from NGOs and faith-based organisations who want to mentor the students or guide them on their academics, morality and other aspects of life.”
Mentorship programme, best way to build good future leaders: Hajia AbdulQadri
Our correspondent was also at the graduation ceremony held at the Oshodi district where another Deputy Director of Programme, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Hajia Nimatullah AbdulQadri took the mentors, mentees and their parents on the importance of mentorship programmes.
Hajia AbdulQadri, the immediate former national Amirah of Al-Mu’minaat, stressed that the best way to build good leaders is through effective mentorship programmes as organised by the Zenith Pathfinders and Oshodi Mentors Connect.
She urged the mentees to always seek advice and meet their mentors at every point in their careers and leadership engagements as they move on in life for continuous guidance and support.
A mentor is a dignified personality: Hajia Tijani
Muslim News was also at the popular TMC Da’wah Center, Ijesha on Thursday, August 22, the venue of the Surulere district graduation ceremony where 8 mentors and 22 mentees graduated from the leadership programme.
The guest speaker, Director/Principal Angus Memorial Senior High School, Somolu, Hajia Monsurat Tijani described a mentor as a dignified personality, an exemplary leader worthy of being emulated by the mentees.
She said: “Mentors have to guide their mentees. They should support and guide the mentees practically on what they have experienced.”
She observed that mentoring is rooted in the tenets of Islam.
“When we look at the Prophet (SAW), he mentored us on how to observe Salat and other acts of worship. In essence, we need mentors in our everyday life,” she added.
It bridges gap between people in challenges: Mentor
One of the graduating mentors and teacher of children with special needs, Hajia Fateemah Oluwayemisi Sulaimon expresses her delight, noting that the programme bridges the gap between students or people in challenges and the motivation they need to pull through.
She said, “This programme is a laudable one, as it bridges the gap between people facing challenges and the support they need. It has really helped reform me as a person and I am so delighted.
“Although the course was demanding at some point, but the encouragement we got from our mother got us going. Moreover, it’s fascinating to have heart-to-heart conversations with the younger generation. I really enjoyed it. The outcome of the mentoring is another good thing to celebrate. My mentees succeeded in their academics.”
She thanked the organisers and urged them to keep up the good work, come what may.
Mentees shower encomiums on initiator
The graduate mentees at different districts praised the founder for the initiative. Hafsoh Olalekan, from Oshodi, thanked the organisers for the foresight in catching them young. She said the training has enabled her to master her skills in leadership.
Also, Kadijat Adebayo, a JSS 3 student of Unity Junior Secondary School who was at the Ifako/Ijaye event, claimed that she learnt a lot from the programme.
She said: “I’m happy to be here. I learnt that it is important to avoid bad company and have a good mentor”
We will pay dearly, if we undermine mentoring – Anifowose
Speaking at the event, Engr Abdur-Rasheed Olalekan Anifowose, the coordinator for the programme asserted that mentoring is a God-given assignment.
He said: “This is an assignment given to Muslims by God Himself. Let arise among a group of people that will invite unto goodness and shun evil. Hence, the goal is to attain the pleasure of Allah.”
He added that mentoring is a natural phenomenon, and whoever alters the cause of nature should be ready to pay in full weight.
“Mentoring is a natural arrangement and any attempt to jettison it has dire consequences. Great people should be able to replicate themselves. It’s always wise to leverage the experience of someone who has already been through whatever one is going through.”
He urged professionals to pick interest in mentees across professions.
Curtains were drawn on the celebrations at the Muslim Community Central Mosque in Festac Town on Tuesday, 3rd September, 2024, where the Founder thanked everyone who contributed to the success of the programme and appealed that they do even more, as the new session promises more.
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