Youths arise in Abuja

YOUTHS in the Federal Capital Territory had a refreshing, educative, informative, and empowering session with some of the country’s outstanding individuals such as Mr. Foluso Phillips, Executive Chairman, Phillips Consulting Limited; Dr. Okey Ikechukwu, Special Assistant to the Vice President of The World Bank; Mrs. Eugenia Abu, broadcaster and author; Mr. Simon Kolawole, Editor, This Day Newspapers and Mr. Alleluya Atunnyota a.k.a. Ali Baba, CEO, Excusez-Moi at the grand finale of Dare to be Different National Interactive Youth Forum.
The RISE National Youth Forum held in seven different venues across the country like Lagos, Owerri, Enugu, Benin, Ibadan, Abeokuta and Abuja with over 35,000 youths in attendance and 35 top-notch facilitators, with different topics varying from Entrepreneurship, Life Style, Personal Development, Career Development and Activism.

Another sensational and emotional part of the programme was when the MTN Project Fame Winner Season 1 – Iyanya Mbuk, shared his life story with the audience, urging them never to give up in face of tough times.
Inyanya narrated how everybody, who initially did not believe in his dream and looked down on him, now believe in him and look up to him.
He recounted how his mother prayed for him before embarking on the Project Fame journey in 2008, his trials and fears in the Academy, and his eventual success as the MTN Project Fame Season 1 winner.
After that he entertained the audience with musical tracks from his new released Album. Free copies of his CDs were given to the participants.
Some of the participants spoke afterward. In the words of Opaola Oluwagbemiga, “the interactive forum is the best thing that has happened to me in the last six months.”
For Osagie Lauren, “the event set me on fire oh! No it should be ablaze.”
Kay Aluka believes that with a programme as this, “there is hope for Nigeria.”








Girls... Mind your life
BY GBENGA ADETUNJI

RECENTLY, Joy Akwara, in collaboration with Zealous Youth Ministries, staged a creative workshop for young and single ladies.
Held at the Sweet Sensation, Alagomeji, Lagos, the event, which attracted a lot of ladies, was aimed at educating them on how to spot wrong relationships.
Themed DIVAS Conference, it was a self-esteemed clinic, where single ladies diagnosed themselves of healthy, low, or overly high self-esteem through the principles taught.
Akwara, the convener of the conference, pointed out the principles ladies should imbibe towards having a healthy self-esteem. She stressed that every lady is wired a diva, unsurpassed by countless others.
She said everyone has a built-in alert system and that they all vary. From spiritual to mental and then to the physical types of Red alert.

President and vice president respectively of Pinkbelle Foundation, Bolatito Junaid and Funsho Williams, who were guest speakers at the event lectured the ladies on breast cancer and its prevention.
Self examination exercises were taught and the participants practised touching their breasts in the hall.
Breast Confidence was taught the ladies, no matter how small or big they were. Participants asked a variety of questions that were tackled by Akwara. She warned ladies never to evaluate themselves based on the negative stories that the media circulate ab out them.