BACKGROUND OF “FRIENDS OF THE ADOLESCENTS’ CLUB”

Friends of the adolescent (FOTA) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that has been initiated in Accra by philanthropic individuals who understand the plight of those who are not fortunate to a have the basic things in life. FOTA has a volunteer base that is intended to look out for the young ones in society.

The volunteers work to support adolescents who have genuine problems with their homes and those who have nowhere to go. This work includes providing financial support for the education; offering vocational and recreational platforms; advocating for rights; meeting basic needs; and protecting them from any physical harm.

FOTA aims to make the adolescent a useful citizen; physically, socially, economically and mentally. This club will spread its tentacles to as many regions as possible.

Due to the nature of the work we do at FOTA, our project will be funded by donations from philanthropic organizations and individuals who share our vision and passion. We will execute some of the projects through fundraising and volunteer efforts that will come in to support the Club.

Friends of the Adolescents are simply people who refuse to turn their backs on human suffering, and who agree that the weakest among us deserve help from the strongest. In other words, we believe that sharing our time and resources with those who need them the most is the least we can do.


PURPOSE

The purpose of this club is to make sure that every adolescent or most adolescents have a sense of belonging, thereby making their lives meaningful and successful. Three-quarters of the population of adolescents in each area that the FOTA club will reach out to should have access to better life (especially orphans and single parented).


FOCUS

EDUCATION: education is an asset for every individual and the FOTA club finds it more than crucial to give adolescents quality education by the year 2020 regardless of their location.

In this computer age, it is very difficult for adolescents from not so comfortable homes to access the computer. This is why we (friends of the adolescent club) seek to avail adolescents with Information Communication Technology (ICT) to keep them abreast with time.

HEALTH: the saying that a sound mind can only be found in a healthy body cannot be over emphasized. The adolescent stage is a stage that determines the future of an individual, due to the fact that there are various hormonal changes that affect the physical, psychological, and social and every aspect of the individual. With this in mind, the club is determined to promote healthy adolescents by way of ensuring good medical support, guidance and counselling on reproductive health and keep fit programmes in liaison with doctors and well equipped hospitals.

RECREATION: due to the hormonal changes that make the adolescent moody most of the time, it is very necessary that the adolescent is exposed to a lot of exercise to calm down their nerves, this is where the FOTA club comes in to create recreational avenues to help the adolescent release tension, through playing indoor games, tennis, healthy debates, reading, excursions, symposia etc.

MAINTENANCE: most adolescents do not have a family to depend on for shelter, food and clothing. A lot of them who find themselves as house helps due to financial problems are not given the ideal conditions needed. The club will therefore take it upon itself to provide these basic needs to the very disadvantaged ones like orphans or the single parented.


ULTIMATE OBJECTIVES

• Help brilliant but needy students.

• Counsel wayward adolescents.

• Use the adolescent as a tool to alleviate poverty among single parents.

• Create recreational avenues for the adolescent.

• Help the adolescent realize his/her potentialities.

• Let the adolescent have a sense of belonging.

• Give the adolescent a voice.


ABOUT THE C.E.O

C.E.O
Her experience with adolescents for more than a decade as an educationist shows that about half of the adolescent population in public schools (J.H.S) are destitute; some of those who even find themselves with guardians are being maltreated and molested.

Some adolescent girls are being taken advantage of by their own uncles, cousins and even fathers, just for the mere fact that they are under their roof.

These impediments in the way the adolescents, jeopardize their academic performance and general well-being.

In the face of such heart-aching situations I find expedient therefore to bring most adolescents who have been forsaken and are confused, under one umbrella of peace, love and comfort. Thus, the birth of Friends of The Adolescent Club (FOTA) club.