TeenPlus Ghana Foundation is an NGO and human institution which focuses on young people between the ages of twelve and nineteen years and takes them through a mentoring programme. Its aim is that these young people are well informed and have adequate knowledge to start life with by the time they get out of school. It also seeks to ensure that all forms of loneliness, boredom and depression are eliminated.

These would be accomplished through school based mentoring programmes, organisation of symposium, camp meetings, counseling sessions, fun times of Socialisation and Talent Hunt Sessions.

Problem

The generational gap between parents and their kids, and teachers and their students has caused a lot of young people to make wrong choices and decisions in life. Since in life, everyone is responsible for the decisions and choices they make, these young people have had to suffer the consequences in the latter part of their lives. No one can be blamed for what is happening because, while parents are busy making money for the upkeep of the family, teachers are also very eager to complete the syllabus. Though all of these are necessary, they happen to the detriment of the younger generation. Aside the basic things that are taught at home and the academic lessons taught in school, young people would have to be taught other life related issues. But this would have to be done when they are young so that by the time they grow up, they are well rounded people, ready to face the world and all the challenges that come in it. We don’t have to wait for them to grow up before they learn some of these things through very bitter experiences.

Solution

TeenPlus has young people between the ages of 12 and 18 years as its target group. TeenPlus aims at ensuring that young people are well informed and have adequate knowledge to start life with. It also seeks to ensure that all forms of loneliness, boredom and depression are eliminated. These would be accomplished through school-based mentoring, organisation of Symposia, Camp Meetings, Counseling Sessions, Fun times of Socialization and Talent Hunt Sessions. If life is a learning process as people say it is, then the earlier we educate our kids on some relevant life issues, the better for all humankind.

Example

*School Based Mentoring *Symposia These will be special meetings or small conferences where experts from various fields have discussions and interact with these young people about relevant subjects. The symposia would be held once every term for selected schools all over the country. *Camp Meetings Once every year, these young people would be camped and given very intensive education on relevant issues. At these camps, they would be made to review the past year and plan for the one that is ahead. It would be a week long camping where they would be trained on how to live independent responsible lives. *Counseling Sessions These are times when the young people share their problems and issues bothering them with counselors. This would be done either in person or via the phone. These counseling sessions are however not time-bound such that all the young people would have to do is create a form of notification and they’ll have someone (an expert) to talk to. In this case, no one gets to pollute their minds with wrong ideas in times of crisis or a kind of difficulty. *Fun times of Socialization These are going to be pleasurable times with the young people where they get to know each other, interact and have some fun while learning at the same time. The playing of games and making of friends are meant to fight all forms of boredom, loneliness and depression. *Talent Hunt Sessions At the end of every year during the camp meeting, everyone is made to produce or do something that is originally theirs. It could be done in groups or individually, based on the magnitude of the work.