Some may not know this, but yesterday May 16th 2025 was the International Day of the Boy Child. Today, May 17th, we did something special to commemorate it and raise awareness. We stepped out to mark the International Day of the Boy Child here in Uromi, and I must say, it was both inspiring and necessary.
Organized by Ufua Memorial Catholic Education Centre, and powered by the School’s PTA, the Ufua Old Students Association (UOSA) and the Osezele Foundation, this event wasn’t your usual school outing. The idea was simple but powerful, we wanted to draw attention to the strategic importance of raising the boy child right. Why? Because how we raise our boys has everything to do with the safety and dignity of our girls and women in society.
The Principal, staff, and students were all out in their numbers. They carried placards, spoke to people, and did their bit to spread awareness. It wasn’t just a school affair either. We had the support of some key agencies—Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, and the Nigeria Police Force, all from the Uromi Division. It was heartwarming to see them standing with the kids on this.
Esan Binoculars, Uromi Diocese Directorate of Social Communication, and even NTA were on ground to cover and broadcast the event. They walked with us from the popular Angle 90 junction Uromi, to Taxona Junction, as we danced, marched, distributed fliers and spoke to passers-by.
Funny thing though, many people were surprised to hear there’s even a day like this. No surprise there. The International Day of the Boy Child is still new to a lot of people. It started around 2018, thanks to the efforts of Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a university lecturer from Trinidad and Tobago. So yeah, it’s still catching on, but it’s high time we gave it the attention it deserves.
Now that we’ve started, we intend to do this kind of sensitization again next year. Because boys grow up to become men. And when we raise them with empathy, respect, and emotional intelligence, we’re building a safer and saner world for everyone; especially our girls.
We hope that you can join us as we keep the conversation going. Boys matter. Girls matter. Every child deserves a chance to thrive.
Awesome