GAF Counsels Youths on Career Choice, Violence

A non-governmental organization, Goge Africa Foundation (GAF) recently held its 9th career guidance and seminar series with a call on youths to shun cyber crime and resist all forms of sexual abuse.

The event, which held at the exhibition hall of the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu drew about 3,000 participants from different private and public schools in Lagos state.

The GAF president, Isaac Moses who spoke with reporters on the mission of the foundation said the programme was aimed at addressing the myriad of problems confronting Nigerian youths.

Moses who explained that GAF is a platform to give back to the society said, “we run a television show that takes us to different parts of the continent and in the course of doing this, we saw the challenges that exist within Africa and over time, we realised that we have to move with the times.

“Our desire to give back to the society informed the introduction of this guidance and seminar event every year where we invite different resource persons who know better and have enough of these skills to teach these children, empower and educate them on career choices as well as prevailing vices. The thing is when people do things from a position of being informed, you don’t easily manipulate or hoodwink them, but when they are ignorant, they are very susceptible to all kinds of vices. That is why GAF is making youths its focus point of the seminar.

Moses who identified finance as one of the challenges confronting the foundation said the issue of insecurity and violence particularly in the northeast is hindering the foundation from exploring the region.

With the successes so far recorded in the seminar series, the GAF boss said some African countries, especially Kenya are already asking the foundation to replicate the programme in their county.

In her presentation, Mrs. Sarah Oyerinde from Christiana Fate Foundation who spoke on “Prevention of child abuse,” said the rate of sexual abuse in the country is alarming. According to her, 10 percent of abusers are strangers; 30 percent are members of the family while 60 percent are friends of the family and enjoined the students not to cover up abusers but report them to dissuade others.

On her part, Mrs. Linda Ijeh who spoke about “ Breaking the silence and healing,” lamented the declining family values, adding that once a girl’s mind is tampered with through abuse, she does not work to full capacity.