Introduction

It is undoubtedly true that many potentials are wasting away, and destinies being crashed on the altar of ignorance and array of bad influences among the youths and adolescents in Nigeria and Africa in general. Many youngsters walk through pages of life like sheep without shepherds. They are left unprotected in a fast-growing technological world which exposes them to many popular and ‘used-to-be’ strange cultures and practices peculiar to their age range. Many times, they attempt to find answers to key issues of life. Ironically, those around are readily judge them. Most of them cannot share their feelings with their parents or guardians due to fear of being tagged bad guy. Alas, many who summoned courage only find insufficient or manipulative responses that cannot relate the past with the current and future realities. The knowledge transfer from religious, household and societal platforms is currently suboptimal to confronting the emerging illusion and misdirection among today’s youth. This could be due to the cultural/religious beliefs, high rate of illiteracy, subjective information, poverty, bad health conditions or tight busy schedules of the potential mentors. Several young people now find solace in surfing the internet to search for answers which only makes them highly susceptible to uncultured opinions. Thus, resulting in disillusionment, frustration, stagnation, and depression- mostly consequences of poor choices and unguarded behaviours. These have gotten many supposed bright minds stranded, and their initial hope of achieving self-sustenance, career and economic development becomes a mirage. How can we send them into the dangerous world without laying a secure foundation to hold them steady? How could we fail to give them the love and attention they crave for? They know so little about life, but with youthful energy and quest, they are cajoled and lured to move very fast and are exposed to challenges they are unprepared for. The untapped or diverted potential has made many lose their prospect of having productive and fulfilling lives. Their bastardized capability is encumbered with violence, aggression, obduracy, slovenliness, and selfishness. In their arrogance lies the array of practices and attitudes that make no sense to their families. Unshaped young people have become liabilities and wastes of many nations and kingdoms instead of value addition and relevance to God’s kingdom and humanity. The implications are also reflected in the insanity and mental health issues that are prominent today among our youths and adolescents. It is not uncommon to hear about some youths committing suicide and others becoming social deviants, they never intended to be. In 2019, in a space of four weeks, 4 youths committed suicide – “Real reasons Nigerian Youths are committing suicide”-The Guardian, 25 May 2019. Evidence has also shown that teenage pregnancy leads to high maternal mortality as Adolescent mothers (aged 10–19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, and systemic infections. “Based on 2019 data, 55% of unintended pregnancies among adolescent girls aged 15–19 years end in abortions, which are often unsafe in LMIC; Prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among adolescents aged 15–19 years was 13.6% in 2016, with males most at risk; Globally, at least 1 in 10 adolescents aged 13–15 years uses tobacco, although there are areas where this figure is much higher – World Health Organization.” The youths are very energetic, curious, and daring set of people. However, when there is a mentoring gap, the journey they started with rising expectations is met with low returns, if any; thus leading to aggression and ultimately depression. The problem begins with the lack of right exposure to mentorship which facilitates guidance and motivation to excellence. Mentoring has been proven to be a trusted process that shows the way 4 to the upcoming generation and spares them some of the pitfalls that the forerunners were encumbered with before their eventual liberation. Having started and replicated this process on a one-on-one basis, the need to reach a wider audience has compelled us to develop a system, Light and Smile Community Outreach (LISCOM), that will accommodate more people to generate a greater impact on the youth community, hence; a healthier, better, and saner community for us all. LISCOM is a resource center responding to the yearnings of young people to fill the void and emptiness inside of them through support to parenthood with a focus on mentorship, teaching and coaching of youngsters towards achieving their divine purpose, career and marital fulfilments.