Tola Sepana Foundation Advocates Proper Upbringing, Mentorship for Children and Youths
Rev Mrs. Tola Sepana, the Visionary and President of the Tola Sepana Foundation (TSF), has called for proper guidance, upbringing, educational development, mentoring and growth of children and youths in present-day Nigeria, where morals, culture and lifestyle are daily becoming decadent.
Mrs. Sepana made the call at the 2026 Annual Tola Sepana Foundation Outreach held at the Foursquare Gospel Church, Hallmark Zonal Headquarters, along the Sagamu-Lagos Expressway, Ikorodu, Lagos.
The outreach, themed “Inspiring Our Children Through the Teachers,” adopted a strategic approach that created lasting impact by reaching both teachers and children. The programme focused on training and equipping teachers who play significant roles in shaping the lives and destinies of children, while also creating a platform for students to receive mentorship, encouragement, educational materials and activities that inspire them to think beyond their present circumstances.
She called for collaboration between parents and school authorities with TSF to build a better future for children, appealing to parents not to be careless about their children’s upbringing, development and future.
“If parents know they will not be capable of taking care of their children, they should rather leave them with God instead of bringing them forth to make them suffer,” she pleaded.
Rev Mrs. Sepana emphasized that, as young as most of the children are, they already face serious challenges.
“Some of them are underage, abused and lack parental care. You see them going around the streets, living carelessly because their parents are nowhere to be found,” she stated.
She lamented the sad state of society where children are becoming parents. According to her, teenage motherhood and fatherhood, as well as single parenting, are becoming societal norms. This category of parents cares less about their children’s upbringing because they are themselves children who should still be under parental care, but now find themselves parenting when they actually need parenting.
Rev Mrs Sepana called on all tiers of government to support NGOs by creating a department that will identify and support projects like that of the foundation.
“We need the government, corporate organizations and individuals to share in our passion and collaborate with us. We cannot go to the children we care for to ask for support,” she said.
Speaking on the future plans and expectations of TSF, Rev (Mrs.) Sepana said: “We had 60 teachers from different schools who attended and participated in our last seminar, and in our next programme, we are going to include parents, especially single parents.
Also, we are trusting God for a time when we will have thousands of children. Those we took care of in 2017 are grown and happy. Some of them are still in secondary school and others have just finished secondary school. When we see them, we are also happy, and in the future, they will value what we are doing now.”
In her contribution, one of the facilitators, Pastor Mrs. Popoola Oluwaponmile, advised parents to curb excessive exposure of children to technology.
“Technology is good and not bad. But for every good thing, we should guard against misuse. Before handing over gadgets to them, there should be proper education on how to use technology to positively impact them,” she said.
She added, “If we want a better society, we should do the right thing and use our devices correctly to build a better society. The Tola Sepana Foundation has chosen to do its bit in recreating the world. If everyone does something similar, we will have a better society.”
Other facilitators at the well-attended two-day programme were Pastor Olajide Bamidele, Mrs. Grace Edafe and Pastor Kokoete Udofia.
The Tola Sepana Foundation (TSF) is a Nigerian non-governmental and non-profit organization established with a passion to inspire, mentor, support and empower both the young and the old, helping them discover and develop their God-given potentials, dreams and ambitions.
For many years, TSF has been committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and young people, especially the less privileged and vulnerable.
TSF believes that every child deserves an opportunity to dream, learn, grow and become all that God has destined them to be. Its mission is to provide the necessary support, guidance, mentorship and opportunities that can help children overcome challenges for a brighter future.
Over the years, TSF has consistently engaged children from different backgrounds through mentoring, moral and educational support, as well as developmental programmes such as award of scholarships, provision of gifts and educational materials to over 250 students. It has also organized programmes to inspire, mentor and develop children, while creating opportunities for them to learn valuable morals, academic and life skills.
TSF will continue to advocate for the education, wellbeing and positive development of children.
