…the premier boys’ grooming initiative marks 7 years of impact
Junior Shapers Africa (JSA), launched in Accra on September 21, 2015, is commemorating seven years of grooming boys and addressing male youths’ needs in Ghana and beyond.
As the leading non-profit personal development organisation championing the ‘Raising Boys Right’ advocacy in Ghana through coaching, talent development & Godly counselling sessions to address the silent struggles of African boys, Junior Shapers Africa’s impact has been quite phenomenal over its seven-year span.
JSA AT 7! Impact in numbers:
- 8,230 boys trained, inspired, counselled and mentored in Ghana and beyond.
●93 personal development training sessions held (in-person & virtual)
●7 countries represented so far by African boys from Ghana, Liberia, USA, UK, Thailand, Uganda and Nigeria
●11 social impact projects (SDG4 & SDG5) executed by JSA and its participants.
JSA boys’ grooming programmes 2022:
This year, several online programmes, as well as three boys’ grooming boot camps were held to cater for the needs of boys in different age groups in furtherance of the JSA mission of renewing the mindset of future men about the important role of fathers by grooming boys strategically and innovatively through effective personal development modules and skills training.
The boot camps held were the Junior Gentleman Grooming programme for boys in Grade 1-5, The JSA Teen Gentlemen Conference for boys in Grade 6-9, and The Alumni Retreat for past participants of JSA programmes, with a total of 50 boys participating in these boot camps.
The Junior Gentlemen Grooming programme is an ongoing programme for a period of one year where the boys will attend a total of four boot camps for different levels of personal development training before graduating in April next year. Training sessions include Spiritual Intelligence (Values), Emotional Intelligence (Self-control) Social Intelligence (Etiquette) Social Impact (volunteerism & entrepreneurship), Adolescent Reproductive Health Education, and #heforshe empowerment sessions by UNFPA Ghana.
JSA Phenomenal Abrantie Awards:
12-year-old Jeremiah Komla Mawunyo Jnr was also adjudged the JSA Phenomenal Abrantie Award recipient during the flagship Phenomenal Abrantie contest held in March 2022. This contest tests the values, problem-solving and innovative mettle of boys.
Jeremiah joins a line up of five previous winners of this award who have all contributed meaningfully to JSA’s social impact projects. Some of our past projects included raising funds to purchase sanitary towels for less-privileged girls in the Central Region of Ghana. The next contest is expected to be held in March 2023.
Inauguration of the 1st JSA Alumni Executive Team:
In line with the JSA Vision to raise future Godly, visionary and phenomenal fathers, creating a safer world for women and children, an alumni community has been formed to maintain connections and champion worthy social causes composed of all past participants of programmes. Leading the charge of this alumni body is the JSA Alumni Executive Team inaugurated in August 2022 comprising of:
- Bryan O. Quansah – JSA Alumni President
- Daniel N. Tetteh – Vice President
- Public Relations Officer – Jeremiah K Mawunyo
- Financial Officer – Jermain Antwi
- Assistant Financial Officer – Kuuki T. Gaisie
- Organising Secretary – Nana Kwaku Appiah
- Administrative Secretary – David Amoah
- Executive members: Abeeku G. Gaisie & Jason Acquah
JSA 7th anniversary project:
To climax its 7th Anniversary, a fundraising concert and a fundraising fitness event will be held in December 2022 and January 2023 respectively, which will be spearheaded by the JSA Alumni Executive Team in aid of the beautification and painting of an early childhood education centre at Jamestown, Accra. The alumni will also be involved in grooming pre-schoolers(boys) through values and social etiquette lessons.
Recognition & awards
- 2020: Recognised for boy-child advocacy by World Day of The Boy Child
- 2018: Value Added Education Award by Educom Award
- 2017: CIMG Special President’s Award recipient for social impact (Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana)
Appreciation:
The founding director of JSA, Ethel Adjorlolo Marfo, wishes to express sincere gratitude to the JSA faculty, facilitators, volunteers, parents, past & present participants, partners and media organisations throughout the years as we continue to promote personal development training and empowerment of boys to ensure quality leadership in our future homes.
Mrs. Marfo is calling on parents of boys to be highly observant in order to identify early signs of emotional trauma as poor mental health management is fast becoming a leading factor for low productivity in boys and men.
