EMPOWERING THE DREAMS OF BOYS THE WORLD FORGOT

We create safe and empowering spaces where boys express themselves, grow in confidence, and lead change.

At MENDAYA, we believe that when a child is given the tools to express, create, and lead, they don’t just change their own story; they help rewrite their community’s future. We exist to break the cycle of silence, aggression, and harmful stereotypes that have kept too many boys unseen and unheard. Our approach equips children with the confidence, skills, and creative power to rise as changemakers, shaping a world where empathy, respect, and purpose guide strength. Our work stands on three interconnected pillars:

CREATIVE
ADVOCACY

We’re reimagining child-rights advocacy by turning creativity into action.

Through arts, design, sports and storytelling, we create platforms where children become creative advocates of their own rights, demanding the world they want to see and live in.

Our programs help boys speak up in their homes, schools, and communities, using creative messaging to challenge harmful stereotypes around masculinity and gender.

Through creative advocacy, they learn about human rights, empathy, child protection, and gender equality, values that equip them to stand up against injustice wherever they see it. We show boys that standing up for girls, for classmates, or for any child being mistreated is not weakness; it’s leadership.

Because the abuse of one child is the abuse of all.
Our advocacy work also challenges violent discipline and corporal punishment, practices that break children instead of building them.

EDUCATION

We create alternative and experiential learning spaces where learning is both playful, fun and creative. Our education programs support children who are out of school, at risk of dropping out, or struggling academically, transforming education into a bridge, not a barrier.

We believe in education as the right of every child, and preparing boys for life and leadership begins here, with mentorship, life skills, and character formation. We teach time management, decision-making, and emotional intelligence to help them balance school, work, and personal growth.

Trusted mentors and counsellors serve as consistent anchors, modelling positive masculinity and guiding them to discover and use their creativity.

Our programs are designed to teach positive masculinity, break harmful gender stereotypes, and empower boys to stand up for justice, not only for themselves, but for others.
We teach boys that violence doesn’t make men stronger, that abuse is never discipline, and that courage is choosing kindness.

Alternative Learning Centre
Fashion and Design Education
Leadership Training
Sex Education
Educational and Academic support
Circular Design Education

ENVIRONMENT

We engage boys in environmental and community action, helping them see themselves as protectors of both people and the planet. Through our Boys for Change Fellowship and Project UNSTITCH, they identify environmental problems around them and design simple, local solutions.

They lead textile-waste collection drives, transforming discarded fabrics into useful items for their everyday needs. Along the River Kaduna, they take part in tree-planting projects that help prevent flooding and displacement.

Through clean-ups and nature walks, boys reconnect with the earth, learning that caring for the environment is also caring for themselves and their communities. One act of stewardship at a time, they become builders of a greener, safer future.