IDGC: HFDI Life Changers Forum Carries Out Advocacy To Etinan School
The Life Changers Forum of Hope for Family Development Initiative, HFDI, Akwa Ibom State, has carried out an advocacy visit to Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Edim Idim, Etinan Local Government Area, to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child and push for the establishment of the Forum in the school.
The team who met with the Principal of the school, Mrs. Alice Sunday Akpan, and members of staff during the visit, had the engagement focused on adolescent empowerment, mentorship, career development, leadership skills, and creating opportunities for girls to achieve their full potential.
HFDI used the visit to highlight the importance of the International Day of the Girl Child in promoting girls’ rights, education, empowerment, equal opportunities, and protection from harmful practices.
The organization also presented the objectives of the proposed Life Changers Forum, which according to them is designed to serve as a platform for providing adolescents with mentorship, career guidance, life skills education, leadership development, access to positive role models, and information to support informed decision-making and personal growth.
The Principal welcomed the initiative and commended HFDI for its commitment to adolescent development and empowerment. She noted that sustained mentorship and career guidance are important in helping students build self-confidence, identify their interests and talents, develop essential life skills, and make informed decisions about their future. She also stressed the need to connect students with professionals and positive role models who can inspire them to pursue their educational and career goals.
At the end of the engagement, the school leadership expressed its commitment to work with HFDI to establish and implement the Life Changers Forum.
HFDI said it will continue engagements with the school management and other relevant stakeholders to finalize implementation plans. This will include developing a structured mentorship framework, identifying resource persons, and preparing an activity plan to guide the forum’s implementation and sustainability.
The organization described the initiative as a step toward strengthening school-based adolescent empowerment programmes, promoting girls’ participation and leadership, and creating a supportive environment where students can access mentorship, build life skills, and pursue their aspirations.