PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME TO READ THIS.
Dare as simply called in secondary school was one of the ‘hot heads’ and I really admired him, you know all those kids that your parents wants you to be like? er ehn, that was Dare, now you can imagine my joy when he called me and told me about his NGO called Helping Hands and asked if I could be a mentor to some students? I was like; wait a minute, Me???? He explained what HelpingHand (click on HelpingHand to learn more) is about, I was so impressed at the work this young man has been called to do and I would love to be part of his success story but above all, I would love to lend a hand, how else can the world be a better place if not by catching the youths at a young age and moulding them Intellectually, Physically, Mentally,socially, spiritually and all the ‘allys’ so as to produce well baked individuals at the end of the day.
I am happy to be a part of this initiative and you too can be a part of it. Please read Mr Dare’s write-up below and if you are interested please drop your email below and we would get back to you!
No one believes me when I say
I heard the applause of a nation
When I saw the faces of two dozen and some
Boys and girls. Raw-faced. Plain genius
Bound within the coating of deceptive nascency…
The podium awaits us, the world applauds
Veni, vedi, veci!
J. A-D
Giving to those who might not be able to give in return is one of the dynamos that keep humanity alive and thriving. Beginning from God Himself Who gave His Son for us to the man picking up that mud-splattered stranger and giving him a lift that actually set him back N5000 for the thorough car wash he had to take his car in for, these acts amaze and inspire us all.
HelpingHand Mentoring is one such initiative to keep this timeless act going. It is the brainchild of Jesudamilare Adesegun-David Oshinuga, a young man who could easily have tried his hands at many other things and made a success of them. Rather he has dedicated his life to serving an underserved population. His words cast a light on the “why” of HelpingHand.
“I never had a mentor to walk with me on this journey of life while I was in secondary school and looking back, I believe that robbed me of so much, far much more than I can ever quantify. Being in a boarding house made my situation far more so. While my mates back in school still rain praise on me and salute me, the question that keeps posing itself to me is, ‘how much more could my life have been had there been someone, just one person, who took me in hand and guided to maximally entering into all that God designed my life for?’ I might never know the answer to that. And it’s basically worthless crying over spilt milk except it becomes a platform to helping others enjoy what I never did. Thus was HelpingHand Mentoring born.”
HelpingHand Mentoring is based in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. It caters to the holistic development needs of Senior Secondary School students with an initial focus on just SS1 students. The inaugural class was drawn from three secondary schools and the population of selected students fell between the range of 30-40. The students are mentored in four tracks apart from the whole-life development emphasis. These tracks are: Information Technology, Applied Science and Technology, Mathematics, and Creative Arts (which includes Creative Writing and Visual Arts). The Project-based Learning Model is the model adopted in carrying out mentoring in these tracks.
Volunteers staff the mentors’ pool and they have been and are drawn from diverse sources: Undergraduate and Postgraduate students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; NYSC members; and professionals based in Ogbomoso.
Professors J. O. Ojediran, F. Egbokhare, Fred Adegoke; Mrs D. F. Adegboye and Dr. D. Obikoya serve as advisors to this initiative. Komolafe Adebayo, a 300 level Biochemistry student of LAUTECH currently serves as Assistant Programme Coordinator.
November 14, 2015 made it a year since HelpingHand accepted its first batch of mentees and within this interval, tangible results have already been achieved. Check out more about HelpingHand at http://www.facebook.com/
Selfless service, aimed at the disadvantaged brings about a peculiar fulfilment. It’s simply priceless.
