A lot of boys, especially in northern Nigeria, grow up facing real financial hardship due to high poverty rates. Some can’t afford school fees, food, clothes, transportation, or other basic needs. Seeing their families struggle financially weighs heavily on them. For some, this pressure and helplessness make them feel like they must get money at any cost, even if it’s risky.
We assume they are immune to emotional trauma, that every male child is automatically emotionally strong and independent; their strength lies in how tough they appear to be. Showing emotions is considered a weakness. We believe they can handle everything, so we don’t teach them the emotional and social skills that the girl child often learn.
May, being the Mental Health Awareness Month, my team at Hasken Rayuwa Foundation successfully carried out a secondary school outreach at Alheri Schools, Gwiwa, Sokoto State, where we held a mental health orientation with young boys of different age groups. We made the session interactive, and what we witnessed was moving. The children were receptive. The way they paid attention, asked questions, and confidently shared their own contributions showed just how much they had been waiting for such conversations. It demonstrates that when boys are given a safe space, they will speak up.
The session was led by our representative, Mr. Tony Ofikwu, the Administrative Officer of the Organisation, with experience working with children. He began by introducing himself and creating an interactive environment by asking simple rhetorical questions: “Have you ever been in a situation where you are emotionally down and want to talk to someone about it, but when asked, you say you are fine?”, or “Have you ever been emotionally down and was able to talk about it?” This approach helped him gauge their prior knowledge of mental health.
Exploring their responses, he went on to explain what mental health is and why awareness is important among young boys. Mental health is an emotional and psychological issue that affects how you think, feel, and behave, influencing how you handle stress, relate to others, and make decisions. It’s the inability to cope with normal life challenges and realize your potential. With boys, it’s often a different story. It’s believed that every boy should be raised with strict discipline, which has sometimes done more harm than good to them and society.
In Nigeria, there’s pressure that makes boys feel showing emotions is a sign of weakness. When they feel vulnerable, boys often keep it to themselves because they think asking for help makes them look weak. They are caught in a web of suffering in silence, shaped by how they are raised and societal expectations. This has led many to bottle up pain and anxiety, which can result in serious mental health issues like depression and substance abuse. Imagine a young boy who is a victim of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse but remains silent out of shame or fear, growing up with unresolved mental and emotional pain.
Sadly, in many communities, people rarely believe boys can be emotionally or sexually abused. This causes many to hide their pain and live in trauma. He also discussed fears boys carry because they are male; many fear failure because society judges men based on success and achievements. Some boys simply lack trusted individuals to confide in due to fear of being judged, ignored, or mocked. Others feel unheard and stop speaking up.
He concluded by creating a safe space; “Feeling scared, sad, or anxious is completely normal. It is not a sign that you are weak; it is just proof that you are human”. By assuring them that it is normal to show their emotions, share dreams, express fears, be vulnerable, seek help, and be supported emotionally, spiritually, and financially, he further encouraged them to speak out, seek help early, support struggling friends, build healthy friendships, pray, and seek godly counsel.
After the session, we shared gifts with the boys as tokens of our care and recognition.I see a pressing need for greater awareness of mental health among young children. While teaching resilience is important, instructing boys to ignore their emotions entirely can be dangerous. As parents, friends, teachers, and leaders, we must be intentional about creating environments where boys can speak openly without shame. Together, we can continue reaching out to more young people to shape their lives positively.
Be part of this transformative movement by investing in the lives of young children for a brighter future.
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ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1016475161
ACCOUNT NAME: Hasken Rayuwa Afrika Ministry (HUMANITARIAN ACCOUNT)
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USD ACCOUNT NUMBER: 5070985611
ACCOUNT NAME: Hasken Rayuwa Afrika Ministry
BANK NAME: Zenith Bank PLC
