The lives of young female students of Mary Hanney Secondary School, Oron was steered positively when the Centre for Young People Development and Poverty Alleviation Initiative (CYDPAN), equipped them with leadership skills on May 21st.
The programme, ‘SHE CAN DO IT’ – is a leadership programme targeted at empowering and preparing young girls in secondary schools as future leaders.
Addressing the students, CYDPAN’s director, Mr Robert Boniface intimated that the outreach was carefully planned to prepare the students not just for academic exercises but to equip them with the necessary leadership skills that will aid in the realization of their life’s goals.
The director hinted that CYDPAN was keenly interested in youth development and empowerment through creation of educational programmes for young people at secondary levels, hence the reason for the outreach.
Delivering a talk on ”SHE CAN DO IT’, the facilitator, Ms Uduak-abasi Okon in her expose shared real life stories of exceptional women like Ibikun Awosika, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and how they strived excellently to become enviable leaders in their professions.
Breaking the lesson into a simple form, Ms Okon explained that for girls to become celebrated leaders in the future, they must have a dream; a personal mental picture of what they want their tomorrow to look like.
The facilitator noted that as potential leaders, the knowledge of their personal dreams will help inspire and guide them to do the right thing and at the right time.
She emphasized that they can also become celebrated leaders in the future but these attainment depended on their daily activities, maintaining that girls can do and become professionals in every field if they work hard and believed in themselves.
Highlighting some valid points that makes a girl child a good leader, the facilitator stated that every girl child must learn to love herself, have a personal self-belief, lead herself, take corrections, ability to make right choices, have self control and discipline.
On the habit every girl child must possess to become a star, Mrs Okon stressed that they must cultivate the habit of reading, listening, thinking, stewardship, as this habits will help arm them with the right information and skills needed to become successful women leaders in the future.
On the attributes of a good leader, she pointed out that a leader is someone who is teachable, acknowledges the contribution of others, appreciates others, and has standard and boundaries in life.
Also, while encouraging the students to discover and develop their talents, she explained that talents are seed of greatness deposited into every girl by God and must be maximized for full actualization.
On the don’t of a leader, the facilitator explained that a leader must not keep grudges, rebel against constituted authority, must not cover up or instigate evil and cheat.
Shortly after the session, two copies of All Inclusive Calculations in Physics for Senior Secondary Schools by Solomon Dauda Yakwo was donated by CYDPAN to the school library.
Receiving the books on behalf of the Principal, Mrs Hannah Okokon Ante thanked CYDPAN for the mind-blowing session and for choosing to equip the girls with leadership knowledge and skills.
Mrs Ante while commending the effort, said the lesson was impactful and will serve as a character moulder and boost to the girls as they continue to pursue their dreams. She expressed joy at the gesture and prayed more blessings on CYDPAN.
