Foundation harps on need, commitment to mentorship of teens, youths

In a bid to chart a cause for pre-teens, teenagers, and youths, a nongovernmental organisation; the Ifejola Akintunde Legacy Series, has reiterated its commitment to creating ambassadors against drug abuse, sexual immorality, and other vices among youths by empowering them with required knowledge and mentorship to enable them to successfully navigate real-time issues in today’s society.

This commitment is in line with the organisation’s efforts to put teenagers on the right path and inculcate in them the right virtue that will ensure they explore their potential to take on their world through symposiums, one-on-one mentorship, counselling and spiritual guidance.

The organisation recently held the maiden edition of its symposium for pre-teens, teenagers and super teens aimed at preparing them for the next level in life with the theme, ‘Today Determines Tomorrow’ under the Ifejola Akintunde Legacy Series: Tribute to Her Life and Values. A platform set up to continue the laudable efforts of Assistant Pastor Ifejola Irene Akintunde, who slept in the Lord in 2023.

While on earth, she had a vibrant teenage and youth ministry and was passionate about ensuring young people follow the right path and take the right decisions to ensure a bright future devoid of avoidable hazards.

The symposium availed the teenage participants who attended a platform to understand the principles of life as teenagers; discover their purpose, live a life that will ensure their destiny is not truncated and make them a source of pride in the society through basic knowledge on perseverance, self discipline, godly attributes and biblical teachings that will aid their climb to greatness.

The basic vision of the symposium was to avail the beneficiaries, who are both secondary school and university students, the opportunity for personal development, spiritual growth, civic responsibilities, as well as equipping their leadership potential while relating with others and above all, independence to resist peer pressure.

According to the organisers, plans are on for the next edition of the symposium in furtherance of the vision to continue the works of late Assistant Pastor Ifejola Akintunde in raising Godly children in a perverse generation as part of efforts to build a better society.

Speaking on who Pastor Ifejola Akintunde was, her beloved husband, Pastor Olusegun Akintunde, stated that  “the symposium was conceptualised out of the need to sustain his wife’s legacy in building teenagers and youth as well as her passion for raising Godly youths that will be ambassadors of Christ. He added that the programme is a befitting tribute to her life and work, reiterating that it will be sustained and expanded to touch more lives.”

He added that the assignment of raising well-behaved and God-fearing teens who will find their purpose right from their teenage years and focus on their future is part of efforts to turn around the tide of moral decadence among youths. He expressed the belief that the programme will expand more to have an obvious impact on society.

 “Our vision is to set these teens to have the right attitude and go back to their schools and communities to be ambassadors of what this symposium preaches to enable them to spread the gospel of living right to their peers. They have gone through specially designed topics that touched on every aspect of their lives; mentally, spiritually and socially. It was a holistic approach to life as a teenager, and I am happy that they learnt a lot and are generally prepared to be models of integrity in their immediate environment,” he added.

The symposium, which took place at the Teenage Church of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Holy Ghost Power Cathedral, Oyo Province 2 Headquarters, worked towards transforming the children, boosting their logical and intellectual capacity and motivating them to be the best version of themselves by following biblical precepts.

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