NGO targets girl-child devt in Nigeria

DRIVEN by the passion to restore dignity, pride and confidence in the youths especially the girl child in this era of digitalization, a non governmental organisation (NGO), has concluded plans to help lift the standard of the girl child in Nigeria.

Going by the name, God’s Own Daises Club, the convener, Mrs.Tioluwalade Akomolede, who recently held the Divas and Daises Conference 2015 tagged: “The Next Leading Lady”, in Lagos, posited that the girl-child development was critical to nation building.

While giving the welcome address at the forum, one of the organisers, Diva Mobayonle Osomo, stressed the commitment of the convener to restoring dignity, beauty, confidence and pride for which the feminine gender was usually known for from time immemorial.

She however, urged the girls not to be carried away by the side attractions, adding that, they should carefully learn from all those who have made it to the very top in their various professions.

Speaking on what motivated her to put up the club and organize the conference, the convener, Diva Akomolede said: “What actually initiated the creation of the club and the conference came out of a divine directive. It happens about eight years ago while I was having a personal time out with God.

God revealed to me that the average teenager (especially the girls) around the world are susceptible to being victims of domestic violence, rape, murder, drug abuse, prostitution, among others. because the good and virtuous women worthy of emulation in the society are all keeping quiet while the bad ones are getting all the attention by the media and are having very enormous negative influence on today’s youths”.

Speaking further, she said: “Two years ago, I felt that we have to start something and we formed the club.

In reaching out to our primary targets which cuts across girls in primary, secondary and higher institutions, we gathered the mentors and these are passionate ladies who share strongly in our idea and philosophy of creating a new generation of clean and virtuous women. Already we have about 145 Divas scattered all around the globe.

With them we have built a formidable team of passionate, dedicated and highly focused women who are bent on restoring dignity in our fast decaying society. Together we will continue to propagate the gospel of chastity throughout the universe”.

According to her, seeing the beautiful girls transform into professionals of global reputation with very blossoming marital life to balance is what drives her to do many of the things she does.

She however, promised that with the magnanimous support she received from her husband and friends across the globe, the sky would be the limit to what she will achieve with the club.

The conference had in attendance students (mainly girls) between the ages of 13 – 17 from renowned schools in Lagos such as Corona, Green Springs, Topgrade, Cedec, Oxbridge, Queensland, Lead City, Westland, Doregos, Vivian Fowler, Emerald, Bridgehouse and a host of others.

The various panels of discussants that took turns to sensitize, enlighten and demonstrate the importance of keeping the ‘old virtues’ of womanhood as against the contemporary ‘it doesn’t matter’ syndrome, did so with all humility, humour and practicality needed to drive home the point comprehensively to the girls.

These include Tope Olagbegi, Moyemi Akerele, Dolapo Oni and TY Bello and other important resource persons. They all took quality time out to respond satisfactorily to the students’ intellectual questions on sundry issues bordering their minds .

The highlight of the programme was the debating competition which saw Green Springs School pitching its tent against Topgrade School on the topic ‘Cool Girls are Bad Girls’.

The second phase of the competition saw Corona School struggling it out with Cedec School on the topic ‘I am who you see on the Outside’.

After the excessive intellectual struggle, Green Springs carried the day for the first phase of the competition while Cedec won in the second phase.