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By Enyeribe Ejiogu
All is now set for the celebration of the first ever National Teenagers Day, NTD, which will be held under the joint auspices of Caverra World Organisation and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Festac Town, Lagos on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
The theme for the 2024 NTD, which will be marked with awards to deserving youths is, “You Are The World” and will feature various activities including a lecture on the impact of drug abuse/addiction on teenagers, intellectual competitions, beauty pageant and other lighthearted activities that encourage learning, good conduct and character.
Initiator of the NTD and Chief Executive of Caverra World Organisation, Mrs Roseline Anijekwu, in a chat with Sunday Sun explained that the NTD was conceived to recognise the great importance of teenagers as the bridge between younger children and adults, saying that the teenage age bracket constitutes every nation’s future generation in all sectors, ranging from governance, education, business, politics and the professions to all other human endeavours.
Her words: “The children have a date, May 27, mapped out for their celebration; mothers and fathers are celebrated, but what about the teenagers? Teenagers might be 30 percent of our population but they are definitely 100 percent of the country’s future. To have a healthy future,starts by having healthy teenagers. The teenagers are the foundation and it is of maximal importance that the foundation is laid right.
“The teenage stage is a very radical and challenging stage, a stage of uncertainties and confusion. It is a stage that requires adequate care, nurturing, constant motivation and inspiration.
“The teenage stage is the right time to build, revamp, shape, and inculcate the right norms and values. Due to the negative circumstances, many teenagers are so scared of the future. Some believe that the future does not exist for them, and their hopes are jeopardised.”
She said further: “Caverra World is an organization that helps teenagers to discover their true-self by creating a positive orientation around them, through constant motivation and inspiration to enable them become responsible adults who will add value to themselves, the society and the world at large.
“Many teenagers today are largely abandoned and neglected, and this creates exposure to all manner of abuse, loss of hope and denial of future. They easily want to live a life of crime as long as they make money. Caverra World holds seminars, talkshows, counselling sessions, street outreaches, and lots more, all aimed at guiding teenagers to the right path and helping them create personal visions and encouraging them to remain focused on achieving their dreams.
“For over eight years, Caverra World has been consistent, intentional, and committed to her vision of building responsible teenagers. Our organisation creates a positive orientation for teenagers, which helps them to discover their true-self, cultivate healthy habits, make the right choices, and have a clearer self-realisation that they are the future.”
Anijekwu stressed that teenagers are like the catalysts for a positive change, adding, “The more we continue to empower, motivate and inspire them, the more responsible they will be and that slogan of being the future leaders will be gratified.
“We want the best for our country. It all starts with teenagers, this is the reason we are partnering with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to sensitize them on the dangers of drugs and drug addiction, which is a threat to their future. They really need to be inspired to aspire because a teenager with a poor mindset cannot offer any positive contribution to life.”
