Helping Boys Grow Into Well-Rounded Men Despite Poverty

Tokunbo Ifaturoti

Introduction

A group that often goes dangerously unnoticed within much of Nigeria’s patriarchal society is that of young boys living in poverty. The boys face many of the same struggles as everyone else around them but are often ignored with the thought that they are “tough”, “naturally able to cope” and already living with the benefit of being “preferred” over their female counterparts.

These boys are often left on their own to decipher what it means to be a mature and responsible man through the haze of poverty. Few solutions are put in place to ensure that they grow into well-rounded men who are ready to take on the responsibilities of adulthood and contribute positively to the upliftment of their families and communities.

Lessons From Sports

One proven way to address this issue is through sports. Sports can play an active role in the transformation of boys to men. Additionally, to a great extent, it requires less financial input than many other initiatives. Football, often considered Nigeria’s national sport, is a prime example of how sports can make a change.

All that it takes are a ball, an open field and a coach prepared to work with the limited resources the community has. Willing and capable coaches and mentors play an indispensible role in and are a major benefit to many impoverished communities. The coaches guide boys in these communities in the display of acceptable and respectful behaviour while passing on valuable life-lessons.

Social lessons and skills learnt through playing football include (but are certainly not limited to) the following:

1. Handling Conflicts – When conflicts arise, boys on the field take the matter to whoever is in charge, be it the referee, coach or team captain. Football teaches them to solve their problems without violence. They respectfully plead their case and accept the decision of the authority figure.
2. Self-confidence – A sense of pride comes from contributing to the success (or good performance) of a team. Boys feel a growing sense of self-worth in that their input made a difference in the team’s overall accomplishments. This confidence in their abilities makes it easier for them to seek out new prospects off the field and to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
3. Perseverance – Defeat and set backs are part and parcel of the game, so too are analysis of failure and strategizing for making another attempt. Boys learn that life is not all about winning but about learning from our mistakes and having the diligence to keep tackling the challenges life brings.
4. Individual Contribution – By playing football, boys learn that each member of the team plays a role in its overall performance. Scoring a goal is as important, as setting one up or foiling an attack from the opposite side. They transfer this lesson to their families where they begin to see the value of both males and females, young and old to the advancement of family.

Conclusion

These lessons are profound and are taught in an informal and supportive manner. The beauty of it all, is that the things the boys learn are naturally and subtly transferred into the homes and communities from which they come. This makes football and sports in general, a vital tool not just to distract boys from their condition of poverty, but to instill positive traits needed in adulthood.

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The Truth About Family Planning In Times Of Crisis

Tokunbo Ifaturoti

Introduction

Natural disasters, war and persecution each have a devastating effect on the general well-being of persons (men, women, children, and the elder) who have to endure them.  These persons are left feeling as if they have lost the power to make any decisions about even the most fundamental aspects of their lives. Their home, work, school and social activities have all been disrupted and the routines that make life predictable, safe and reassuring have all been removed.

Benefits Of The Availability Of Family Planning For Women

One area in which women are able to regain some sense of control is in the use of contraceptives. These give women the opportunity to

• manage their reproductive health
• better focus on the children they already have
• plan and better care for the children they will have in the future
• give greater assistance to their burdened families
• achieve increased stability in their lives (to counter the instability brought on by crises)
• take on education and entrepreneurial opportunities

Why Help Is Needed

Access to safe, voluntary family planning is one of the human rights that has a profound and direct impact on women. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) “Family planning is central to gender equality and women’s empowerment, and it is a key factor in reducing poverty.” These functions of family planning become even important in times of crisis.

Women and children have been identified as being at the greatest risk when there is a catastrophic event. Outside of not wanting to increase their family size with their partner, there are many other reason for contraceptives being vitally important to women. Among these, is the fact that women of child-bearing age are in very real danger of sexual exploitation and sexual violence during times of crisis.

The UNFPA further points out that the 69 poorest countries in the world contain most of the roughly 225 million women who do not wish to become pregnant but “are not using safe and effective family planning methods” due to the lack of

• community support
• support from their husbands or boyfriends
• readily accessible information
• family planning services

Risks Brought On By The Lack Of Family Planning Options

Without access to family planning women are exposed to

• lower levels of prenatal and postnatal care for themselves and their unborn child
• exposure to sexually transmitted diseases
• pregnancy related complications and death

It must be noted that many of these women are already facing issues of poor health due to the conditions brought on by the crises they are living in.

Conclusion

All types of contraceptives have their place among these women, who welcome not only the access to the family planning methods, but the variety of methods presented. From condoms, to birth control pill to IUDs, giving women the opportunity to take advantage of family planning is vital to sustaining them through the crisis situations they are in.

Coupled with counselling and supportive medical aid, it provides a new lease on life and a glimpse at a brighter future for women and their families caught up in humanitarian crises.

The Power Of Connecting – Examining The Value Of Storytelling To Charities

Tokunbo Ifaturoti

Introduction

They say storytelling is an art, but the most powerful stories are perhaps those told simply in the words of those who live through them.

Charity workers and their beneficiaries have some of the most compelling stories you will ever read or hear. The problem is that most likely you won’t because providing aid is so involved and consuming that there is little time or energy left to jot done the life changing minor miracles experienced or the simple fulfillment it brings.

Similarly, person who benefit from aid are caught up in the act of living, of making it through another day and often cannot spare the time or energy to relate their stories of renewed hope and over-abounding gratitude.

Storytelling via Social Media

The Small Charities Coalition provides its members with guidance on the use of social media as a means of getting their message and their need out to as many people as possible. Increasingly, that is exactly what charities are beginning to do.

Most of us already use our social media accounts to remain in touch and share the happenings of our lives with “friends” near and far. It therefore seems like a natural progression and smart decision to allow this networking platform to work for the benefit of those the charities are set up to help.

By using social media to the convey stories of need and the stories of success that our charity has experienced, we are reaching an audience that we otherwise could not have hoped to reach. Ensuring that these stories powerfully relate the truths of our situation and the situations of those we serve is paramount to increasing the support we receive. Why?

The Truth Is The Most Compelling Story We Can Tell

The value of the services we provide and the urgent need for others to get on board and invest in us is best expressed by simply using storytelling to open a window into our operations. As we share the true stories of how we impact the lives of those most in need and how they in turn impact us, we are allowing persons who wish to help to see how that help can be realised and the value it represents to beneficiaries.

The possibilities presented by the use of social media are not just extended to the charity and its beneficiaries. Volunteers and donors (past, current and future) can share in their own words what they have gained by becoming involved.

Conclusion

Sharing these stories is of extreme importance because stories inspire people to get involved and to give a lending hand whether literally or figuratively through donations. Once we have received the requisite permissions to use photos, names and statements, we can share the uniqueness of our experiences with the wide audience social media provides.

The very nature of social media puts the sharing of stories into perpetual motion. This is a fact charities must take advantage of by encouraging family members, friends, co-workers, community members and supporters to join in.