THE 360 DEGREE GUY (Part II)

You’re here again! Aren’t you the most amazing person ever, thank you so much for showing up. As we count up to Father’s Day 2020, we’ll be wrapping up our conversations with Ms Ibukun on the 360 degree guy.

The earlier part of our chat is available here, in case you missed it.

1nebody: You mentioned about how you conducted some research which showed many of the societal issues we currently face could have been avoided, if we had men who knew better.Are there testimonies from the young men on your platform? Are they becoming better men indeed?

Ibk: Yes, I would say the guys are changing. At least I know about some of their stories personally. Usually, we give an evaluation feedback form to every participant after our meetings/conferences. Most of them described the programme as empowering, new, interesting and useful. Some of them specifically mention certain areas of their lives they plan to work on following our interactions. This ranges from keeping the right relationships,to maximizing their potential and making the right decisions. For example, during the 2018 conference, we had lots of questions we could not cover at the meeting. Some of the guys called for further counseling afterwards and the available mentors were able to follow them up until there was an improvement in the particular area in which they needed guidance. Most importantly, we have had people surrender their lives to Jesus during the course of our meetings.

1nebody: That’s the greatest testimony ever, isn’t it? Thank God for that. When you have the guys present you with male-related issues, how do you handle them? Are there men within your team that are able to speak with them?

Ibk: Yes, we have a lot of godly men in their late 20’s and above who also bought into the vision and are willing to give counsel when need be. Most times I refer the boys to these men with their permission because I know there are some issues that they will be able to relate to better than myself. During the last conference, we also shared the contacts of our mentors with the guys, so they could speak with them directly whenever they needed counsel. However, for general topics like academics, I am able to speak with them about such. From time to time, I share my experience with them, which they can equally learn from.

1nebody: Asides the conferences and meet-ups, what other forms of engagement are there and how often do you meet?

Ibk: Yes, we do have other meeting points. For instance, we have a Whatsapp group, where we meet on the last Sunday of every month to discuss various topics. The guys also have the opportunity to suggest areas they like us to discuss. During our meetings, we often invite guest speakers, i.e. people who are not necessarily part of the group and not one of the mentors. By the help of the Holy Spirit, I identify those can do justice to the topic and they are always very pleased to be with us. Asides the whatsapp monthly meeting, there is usually one major meeting annually-this could be a conference, hangout, or meeting.

1nebody: This is interesting. Is the Whatsapp group a closed group with the young men you currently have? If no, how can others be a part of this. There’s a parent/guardian reading this who wants their male children to become a part of this forum, how can they join in?

Ibk: Our Whatsapp is not a closed group. Any guy within 14-21 years can join in. In fact, older guys that want to learn can also join in. However, to be a (volunteer) mentor to the boys via the platform, I will need to know you personally or at least be able to vouch for you before I can refer any of the boys to you for counseling. If anyone is interested in that they can reach me personally via email. But the group itself is very much open and it is a very interesting group. Asides our monthly meetings, we engage in other activities such as games, giveaways and share relevant information that can be of benefit to the guys. You can join our Whatsapp group through this link. We are also on social media, where we share summaries from our meetings, have other interesting conversations as well as make announcements for upcoming meetings and more.  You can follow the 360° group on Facebook and Instagram.

1nebody: Now, the ball is in the court of our readers, isn’t it? Is there any other information you’d like to share as we wrap up?

Ibk: Indeed (laughs), we really can’t wait to have others join in. I would like to reiterate that our next monthly meeting comes up on Sunday, 28^th June, 2020 by 7pm (GMT+1) on Whatsapp. We would be discussing how to create a balance between school life, business, and yet achieving excellent grades. This was a suggested topic from some of the guys and we will be doing justice to it by the help of God. We would also be having a conference before the end of this year, details are still sketchy,but once finalized, announcements would be on our social media handles.

1nebody: Thank you so much for speaking with us Ms Ibukun. It’s been comforting hearing you speak with so much passion for the young males. We pray for greater grace for you and your team as you mentor these young men in Jesus name.

Ibk: Amen, thank you too for the opportunity. I pray God’s blessings upon this platform as well.