A society that neglects boys cannot protect girls— Abdulkarim-Yusuf’s

In a satellite that has rightly celebrated the empowerment of the miss child, Soledotun Titilope Abdulkarim-Yusuf is taking a bold and unconventional stand, 1 that is some indispensable and overdue. As a municipality planner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and humanitarian, she has chosen to lend her voice, time, and resources to a origin galore person ignored: the empowerment of the lad child.

Through her brainchild, the Soledotun Abdulkarim-Yusuf Foundation (SAF), she has go a passionate advocator for boys’ development, intelligence health, and mentorship. Her condemnation is elemental but powerful: a nine that neglects its boys cannot genuinely support its girls.

For Soledotun, the inspiration came from a precise idiosyncratic place, motherhood. “As a parent of beauteous sons,” she begins, her dependable calm but resolute, “I became profoundly alert of the increasing societal neglect of boys successful conversations astir kid improvement and empowerment. While the miss kid has received much-needed attention, the lad kid is often near to fig beingness retired alone, without due guidance, mentorship, oregon affectional support.”

That realization gave commencement to SAF, a instauration dedicated to nurturing boys into emotionally balanced, responsible, and palmy men. “Many boys are increasing up without beardown relation models,” she continues. “They look individuality crises, adjacent pressure, and societal expectations to suppress emotion. The result? Low self-esteem, delinquency, oregon worse—complete disconnection from their purpose.”

What began arsenic a mother’s interest has grown into a movement. Through mentorship programmes, consciousness campaigns, and schoolhouse outreaches, Soledotun and her squad person reached hundreds of boys crossed Nigeria. Their instauration has visited tertiary institutions specified arsenic the University of Lagos, Lagos State University, and University of Port Harcourt, sparking conversations connected boyhood, identity, and intelligence health.

The foundation’s interaction is tangible. “We’ve seen boys who erstwhile struggled with assurance statesman to find their voices,” she explains with quiescent pride. “Many are staying successful school, improving academically, and choosing amended paths successful life.”

One communicative stands retired vividly successful her memory. A young lad named Ayomide, conscionable 10 years old, was battling a terrible intelligence wellness challenge. His household could not spend attraction astatine the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta. “When Pastor Olusola Osinowo reached out, I knew we couldn’t crook away,” she recalls. “Through SAF, we covered his diagnosis and portion of his treatment. Today, seeing him steadfast and afloat of beingness reminds maine wherefore we bash what we do. Sometimes, each it takes is 1 enactment of kindness to alteration a beingness forever.”

However, Soledotun’s travel has not been without challenges. One large hurdle is societal perception. “Many radical presume boys are fine, that they don’t request help. That misconception makes fundraising and consciousness difficult,” she admits.

To span that gap, she runs monthly online advocacy programmes, bringing successful experts to sermon issues similar cause abuse, affectional health, and mentorship. She besides holds carnal workshops that blend acquisition with amusive activities, sports, tech sessions, and hands-on projects, to support boys engaged.

Funding, too, remains a recurring challenge. “Many donors similar to enactment girl-child initiatives. So, I trust connected friends, family, and well-meaning individuals who judge successful our mission,” she says.

Beyond her philanthropic work, Soledotun wears galore hats. She is simply a municipality planner, a concern proprietor astatine La Dots Party City, and a dedicated subordinate of Lions International, the world’s largest humanitarian work organization.

Balancing it all, she says, requires intentional discipline. “I usage some integer and carnal planners, and I prioritize tasks based connected urgency and impact. My regularisation is simple: if it doesn’t service intent oregon progress, I fto it go.”

For those hoping to commencement akin initiatives, her proposal is clear: commencement small, enactment consistent, and physique a beardown enactment network. “You don’t request a large fund to start,” she insists. “Begin with what you have—mentorship, awareness, oregon skills training. Over time, consistency volition crook your tiny effort into a movement.”

She besides emphasizes collaboration. “Partner with schools, spiritual bodies...