When Racheal & Teens Foundation started in August 2016, it began with something simple: a conversation. Not a boardroom strategy session or a funded initiative — just a young woman who cared deeply about teenagers and wanted to make a difference.
From Small Beginnings
Those early days were intimate — small gatherings, personal talks, one-on-one sessions with teenagers who were struggling with identity, peer pressure, and a lack of direction. There was no formal structure, no office, no budget. Just compassion and commitment.
But word spread. More teenagers showed up. More volunteers stepped forward. What started as personal outreach grew into something much bigger.
The Mentorship Programme Today
Fast forward to today, and our mentorship programme is one of the four pillars that define Racheal & Teens Foundation. Here's what it looks like now:
How It Works
- Pairing: Each mentee is matched with a mentor based on shared interests, challenges, and goals
- Regular Sessions: Monthly one-on-one meetings combined with group workshops
- Skill Building: Focus areas include communication, goal-setting, problem-solving, financial literacy, and leadership
- Real-World Exposure: Mentors share their professional journeys — the struggles, the failures, and the breakthroughs
By the Numbers
Over 9+ years, our mentorship programme has directly impacted over 2,000 teenagers across multiple communities in Lagos. We've conducted 15 major outreaches, each one building on the lessons of the last.
Stories That Keep Us Going
One of the most rewarding aspects of this work is seeing former mentees grow into mentors themselves. Teenagers who once sat in our sessions uncertain about their futures are now:
- 🎓 Pursuing university degrees on scholarship
- 💼 Running their own small businesses
- 🏥 Training as healthcare workers
- 👩🏫 Volunteering as peer mentors for the next generation
These aren't hypothetical outcomes — they're real people from real communities who were given one thing many of them had never received before: someone who believed in them.
What Makes Our Approach Different
We don't do surface-level mentorship. Our programme is built on three principles:
- Consistency — A single workshop isn't enough. Real change happens through sustained, repeated engagement
- Relevance — We address the issues teenagers actually face: peer pressure, substance abuse, early pregnancy, lack of educational opportunities
- Empowerment over dependency — We don't just help. We equip. The goal is for every teenager to leave our programme with the tools and confidence to lead their own life
The Work Continues
Nine years in, we're more committed than ever. Every mentorship session, every outreach, every one-on-one conversation is a step toward our vision: raising a generation of empowered teenagers who influence society positively.
If you'd like to become a mentor, support our programmes financially, or simply learn more — reach out to us. Every contribution matters.
Racheal & Teens Foundation — Raising Influential Leaders