Stereotype: Group Interfaces with Imo Youths …Calls for Healthy, Peaceful Family Union

ThankGod Emeh…

A family-centered group, the Community Life Project, CLP in its serial dedicated advocacy for a positive and healthy society on Saturday, June 7, 2025 interfaced with Male Youth Leaders of Obibi Uratta community Owerri North LGA, Imo State in a one-day training geared towards addressing stereotypes in society as well as changing the narrative of harmful sociocultural practices in the locality.

The training which was tailored for Male Grassroots Youth Leaders in Owerri North Communities with the theme “The Role of Male Youth Leaders in Building Just and Healthy Families and Communities”, however highlights the diligent advocacy and intervention programmes of Community Life Project to leave no stone unturned as it engages all stakeholders, having interfaced with the Women of the area among other groups in recent times.

Speaking on the theme, the Programmes Manager of Community Life Project (CLP), Mrs Celine Osukwu said the training was germaine to educate the youths on their roles as decision-makers as well as leaders of tomorrow in building healthy and peaceful families.

Osukwu stressed that the training will go a long way to disabuse the minds of the younger generation on recurring stereotypes, and gender-based issues in society.

“This project will help the youth to be aware of the issues that are inbuilt in the cultural environment that triggers health challenges.

“We want them to know that there are certain attitudes, behaviours, norms and traditional beliefs and stereotypes that societies and families impose or expect from male youths that triggers challenges in their health”

The CLP Programmes Manager added that the interface would equally help reduce the pressure on male Youths to make it big at all costs to be able to carry up family responsibilities, noting that a just and healthy family is a family where everybody contributes  to the its growth because everyone is born equal with their rights hence should be treated equally.

“The youths also have roles to play in building healthy families where everybody is treated equally.

“There is no culture or law that says the domestic chores are for the female children and there is also no law that says male children should always fend for their family”, she highlighted.

One of the participants, Hon. Ajaero Ugochukwu who expressed satisfaction for the programme said the training would not only birth new understanding and way of life in the locality but would certainly reduce criminality as it was loaded with principles of what healthy and just families ought to be.

“If this kind of seminar is going to be regular…it is going to help the youths in all ramifications and it should not be a one-off programme.

“The programme will no doubt reduce the vices of the youths in the society…”

Other participants thanked the Community Life Project team for their comprehensive and impactful training as they engaged in group works to ascertain the ills in society in a bid to addressing them.

Among the recommendations from the Youth’s Task work for a healthy, just and peaceful family are demands for open dialogue, youth empowerment, engagement and employment as they decried the overwhelming pressures on them to break unwarranted records, alongside the wrong notion that “men do not cry” and man must be in charge financially and otherwise as the man of the house.