In the landscape of gender-focused campaigns and affirmative actions, there has been a noticeable gap concerning the boy child. While commendable strides have been made in empowering the girl child across education, politics, and economic opportunities, the plight of the boy child remains overlooked, teetering on the edge of social decay fueled by drug abuse, addiction, cultism, and other vices.
In alignment with its commitment to holistic youth development, the Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Path-initiative (FEYReP) promptly introduced a mentoring program tailored for Akwa Ibom’s boys. This initiative sought to coach and prepare these future assets for the challenges and responsibilities that lie ahead. Stemming from the success of the “Girls Uphold Your Dignity” campaign, where girls are mentored on morals, values, social skills, leadership, and career paths, FEYReP had launched the “BRIGHT FUTURE FOR RESPONSIBLE BOYS” advocacy program as counterpart initiative.

The overarching objectives of this initiative were to rescue boys from the clutches of cultism and drug addiction while providing essential education on sexual orientation and the importance of financial independence. FEYReP’s campaign underscores the pressing need to address the challenges faced by the boy child in contemporary society, including cultism, drug abuse, and various social vices.

As part of its sensitization message, FEYReP highlighted cultism as a major vice affecting the Nigerian educational sector, with members pledging allegiance to the group, binding themselves under oath to support and carry out its activities. During the inauguration of the campaign, Dr Martha Emmanuel, the Founder of FEYReP, admonished students against destructive behaviors like cultism, drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, and rape. She emphasized that the future of families and the state itself would be in jeopardy if concerted efforts were not made to curb these social vices targeted primarily at the boy child.