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Boys Lead Foundation launches scholarship programme in South Africa

As a society, we are confronted with the consequences of a culture that breeds disconnected Boys. A lot of boys are attempting to quickly fill in the gaps in their lives rather than developing genuine ties to their community. A lot of children, particularly boys, turn to gangs, drugs, alcohol, stealing, cutting, and pornography in…

As a society, we are confronted with the consequences of a culture that breeds disconnected Boys. A lot of boys are attempting to quickly fill in the gaps in their lives rather than developing genuine ties to their community. A lot of children, particularly boys, turn to gangs, drugs, alcohol, stealing, cutting, and pornography in order to fill those gaps and numb the pains of loneliness.

To mitigate this, Boys Lead Foundation, a nonprofit registered in both Nigeria and the United States has launched it scholarship program for boys in South Africa.

Speaking to Mr. Owolabi Williams, the founder of Boys Lead Foundation, he mentioned that the average age of first use of illicit drugs is 12, while the average age of first use of alcohol is 10. The Boys Lead method entails the establishment of a group forum for boys and men to discuss their problems and concerns.

Our correspondent also spoke to Mr. Kenneth Boone (COO) who further explained the foundation uses a mentoring approach to allow the adults share their experiences to help boys avoid making the same mistakes.

“Fatherless boys in South Africa are four times more likely to need help for emotional or behavioural problems. Boys Lead Foundation developed this programme to promote group engagement, intense self-reflection, constructive strategic thought skills, and self-accountability by incorporating inclusive, intergenerational, and asset-based mentoring activities” says Maxwell Oyewumi, the Country Coordinator for South Africa.

The curriculum is being replicated in various communities to empower young men around the world (The United States, Canada, Nigeria, and South Africa) that are autonomously governed and managed.

“So many teenage boys are lost and the longer a boy is lost and alone, the deeper his wound becomes” Oyewunmi added.

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