As part of our Giving Tuesday Special Edition for Nigeria’s First Giving Festival, we’re spotlighting organizations driving meaningful change in their communities. One of them is Train The Boys Initiative, a youth development organization focused on helping boys build emotional intelligence, strong values, and a sense of purpose.
Their work touches schools, communities, and correctional centers, creating safe spaces where boys can learn, express themselves, and grow into responsible young men.
How would you introduce your organisation to someone hearing about you for the first time?
Train The Boys Initiative is a youth-focused organisation helping boys grow into emotionally intelligent, responsible, and purpose-driven young men. We work through mentorship, school clubs, community programmes, and advocacy to promote positive masculinity, strong values, and essential life skills.
We’ve reached thousands of boys across schools, communities, and correctional centres, and we’re committed to expanding this impact with partners who share our vision for male youth empowerment.
What major challenge are boys in your community facing today?
One of the biggest issues is the lack of guidance and positive role models. Many boys grow up in environments where expressing emotions is seen as weakness, where harmful gender norms go unchallenged, and where there are few safe spaces to learn purpose and values.
Without support, this often leads to low self-esteem, poor emotional regulation, peer pressure, and a general lack of direction.
Can you share a moment or experience that Why are you participating in Nigeria’s First Giving Festival on Giving Tuesday ?
A 14-year-old boy joined one of our school clubs after years of anger, conflict, and withdrawal. He had never been told that boys are allowed to feel sad or overwhelmed. Through our emotional intelligence sessions and mentorship, he slowly opened up, learned healthier ways to handle pressure, and began making better choices.
His teachers later told us they saw major changes: fewer fights, better focus, and even helping younger students resolve conflicts.
He eventually said, “I didn’t know I could be a different kind of boy. Now I know I can choose the kind of man I want to become.”
That kind of transformation is exactly why Train The Boys exists.
We also completed PROJECT 12-BY-12 in May 2025, coaching 12 boys for 12 weeks on life skills and exposing them to new experiences through an excursion.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while running Willow NGO, and how have you managed or overcome them?
This festival is more than fundraising. It’s a national moment of unity and generosity.
For us, it’s a chance to spotlight the needs of boys and young men, a group often overlooked in empowerment conversations. It allows us to tell our story, connect with partners, and invite more people into a movement reshaping the future of boys in Nigeria.
What is your main message to the public during the festival?
Raising boys begins early, and they shouldn’t have to navigate life without guidance. Their development is a collective responsibility.
We want to sensitise communities, shift mindsets, and position ourselves as an organisation committed to advocating for, supporting, and uplifting the boy child.
What programme are you highlighting during the Giving Festival?
We’re focusing on our School Outreach Programme, one of our most impactful initiatives.
We visit schools to engage boys on emotional intelligence, values, purpose, positive masculinity, and responsible behaviour. These sessions open up conversations boys rarely get to have and provide practical tools they can use immediately.
We’re also open to booking schools during the festival for our 2026 outreach calendar.
How can donors and supporters engage with Train The Boys on Giving Tuesday?
1. Give to support our School Outreach Programme
Helps us reach more schools, train mentors, and provide learning materials.2. Become a monthly partner
Sustained support helps us plan and expand our impact.3. Sponsor a school outreach
Individuals or organisations can fully sponsor a school of their choice.4. Volunteer your time or skills
Mentorship, media support, training, project management, fundraising – all are welcome.5. Advocate and spread the word
Share our mission and help others discover our work.6. Partner with us as an organisation or foundation
Through joint projects, technical support, or co-hosted community programmes.Giving Details:
GBP
Train The Boys Initiative
BIC: MONZGB2L
IBAN: GB16MONZ04000348484131
Sort Code: 04-00-03
Acct No: 48484131Naira
GTB
Olawale Afolakemi
0142107572
What does participating in the Giving Festival mean for your beneficiaries?
It means visibility, hope, and opportunity.
More schools reached.
More boys building emotional strength and positive masculinity.
More mentors trained.
More young men discovering purpose, confidence, and direction.
The festival brings communities and donors together in a spirit of generosity, helping us scale our programmes and create lasting change in classrooms, homes, and communities across Nigeria.
Want to Be Featured?
Are you a changemaker leading a nonprofit in Africa? Do you know someone whose story should be heard?
We’re always looking to spotlight humanitarians who are making a difference.
Email us at info@hexamedia.africa to get featured in our next Humanitarians of Africa story.
Photos of Train The Boys Initiative in action
