From Safe Spaces to Lifelong Pathways: What the Graduation of Jean Mentees Teaches Us About Our Role in Empowerment

The chairs had been neatly lined up before the first guests arrived. Outside, a warm August sun filtered through the air, carrying the hum of a day that promised joy. Inside, parents adjusted headscarves and caps, mentors whispered last words of encouragement, and in one corner, three girls bent over an agenda, preparing to host the event themselves.

It was Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the graduation day for Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative’s 141 Safe Spaces mentees under the Jean Herskovits Program. The girls came from four communities; Kawo Nomadic, Kawo, Giginyu, and Daurawa, where IWEI runs the Safe Spaces to support girls with basic literacy, arithmetic, numeracy and life skills on basic gender based violence, safety and hygiene, and also develop their skills in arts, and crafts. For sixteen months, these spaces had been places of growth and safety after school hours. This day was about celebrating a year’s journey of learning, confidence-building, and possibility.

Before the program began, we remembered how it started: with a baseline assessment to gauge each girl’s literacy and confidence levels. Another assessment was made just before this ceremony to measure their growth. In the past, girls who scored 80% or above received scholarships to private schools. This time, however, we could not offer that opportunity as funding had not been secured. Still, the day was not about what we could not give, but about celebrating what the girls had earned. And they were determined to make it memorable.

A Program for the Girls, by the Girls

When the ceremony began, the audience expected the usual: adult MCs, formal speeches etc. What they got instead was ownership. From the moment the introductions started to the final words, the girls ran the show.

Some of them had once been shy, afraid to take up space. Now, they stood as the MCs, debated gender-based violence with the clarity of seasoned debaters, and staged dramas about the importance of girls’ education and parental support. The performances flowed so naturally that they felt less like acting and more like glimpses into real lives.

It made us wonder what could really happen when we give young people the mic, literally and figuratively. And we invite you to ponder; when was the last time you gave a young person the mic and actually required them to do more than echo your words… to speak from their own conviction?

We See a Future When We can Dream of It

One of them, Fatima, from Giginyu spoke about her dreams of becoming a pharmacist, “to help the sick by producing medicines that cure illnesses and prevent disease.” 

Aisha from Kawo wants to be a teacher, “so I can educate children and ensure they receive quality learning.” 

Maimuna hopes to become a doctor “to help people when they are sick.”

For us at IWEI, these aspirations mean more than future careers. They are proof that the girls now see themselves beyond the limits of their environment. They believe their futures are theirs to shape and that they have the capacity to make their dreams real.

The Mentors’ Bittersweet Farewell

We also sat with some of the young women who dedicated their time and energy to teaching the girls in the safe spaces. Their reflections were tinged with pride and a bittersweet ache. 

Dentu Flora called her experience with the girls “sweet and sour.” Sweet because she had watched shy girls become confident girls, and sour because she would miss their presence. 

Saratu Aminu revealed that the key was sharing her goals with her mentees from day one, motivating them to work hard. Others promised to stay in touch through home visits or phone calls, determined to guard the seeds they had helped watered.

And one of the questions that remained with us from interacting with the mentors is: when we invest in someone’s growth, do we stop at the milestone, or do we stay to water the roots? We invite you to ponder on this 

The Parents’ Reflections.

The parents’ stories revealed something profound.

A mother, who is also the head of the mothers group with IWEI, Amina Musa, shared how happy she was to attend her daughter’s graduation. She said that her daughter had benefited a lot in terms of gaining more knowledge, and improved confidence compared to before. 

Another mother, Nafisa Adamu from the Ginginyu community, expressed her excitement about the graduation. She said watching the children perform was so interesting that she felt the event should not end. She even changed her seat so she could happily watch her daughter perform. 

Nafisa added that her daughter has improved in learning and other areas of life. The girl even teaches her siblings what she learns from the Safe Space sessions. 

For Sani Labaran Jibril, his was about how his daughter had developed a hunger for learning so deep she now reads biscuit wrappers and movie subtitles. 

Another father, Alhaji Isa, celebrated not only his daughter’s improved academics but also how his wife had gained business skills through the mothers’ group. This is because, asides the safe spaces, IWEI brought the mothers together and over time,taught them some crafts so they can earn a living. They also were put through sessions on mental health and wellbeing, positive parenting and ways to support their children in maintaining a well-rounded life.

This is the quiet revolution Safe Spaces create: when you invest in a girl, you inevitably transform her household.

The End of an Era

At the close of the day, each graduate received a school bag with books, pens, and other tools for learning. They also received dignity kits consisting of sanity materials. A small gesture to remind them that we do expect that they continue to go to school.

Although, in our hearts we have been grappling with the question: what role can we play to ensure that the confidence built in Safe Spaces is not eroded by unsafe practices in our societies?

Because empowerment is not what we give in a year or even five. It’s whether, when the scholarships are gone and resources are scarce, communities will still find ways to keep their girls in good schools, protect their safety, and stand beside them for a lifetime.

So we asked the program lead, Aisha Aminu, the same question:

“We’re going into our final year of safe spaces and we hope to make it worthwhile. From the very beginning, we have encouraged sustainability by working with everyone in the community (Community leaders, fathers, mothers, the Community Action Committee ) and all who play a role in making an impact in the lives of the girls. We also work with community volunteers who serve as assistants to the safe space mentors in the communities where we work. In this final phase of the JHS project, we plan to work closely with the 94 girls currently on scholarship to ensure the sustainability of the project. We want to make sure that girls continue to believe in themselves through active interactions with the scholars, peer support and the life skills they have learnt from the project. We hope that the community volunteers will also continue to impact the lives of the girls long after the project’s lifecycle ends and this is also an opportunity for us to see what the community does next and if they will truly commit to the development of their girls with or without the organization.”

The story of the mentees is not just about 141 girls in four communities. It is a mirror, asking us to examine how we sustain the dreams we applaud. Programs like this prove transformation is possible, but they also challenge us: Will we still show up for these girls when the applause fades, when the certificates gather dust, when the real tests begin?

The Executive Director of IWEI, Mrs. Amina Hanga commented on her dream for the girls’ future.

“I dream of a future where every girl is educated, free to make her own choices, and never judged or held back simply because she is a girl. I see a world where girls grow into confident women who are valued as great assets to their families, communities, and nation. In this future, their potential is limitless, their voices are respected, and their dreams are within reach. When girls thrive, we all thrive.”

As we close this chapter, we know the journey is far from over. Graduation is not the finish line, it’s the handover point, where the baton passes from program to community, from mentors to families, from us to the girls themselves. We are trusting that the lessons, friendships, and courage they’ve gained will carry them forward and blossom into fulfilled lives and realised dreams.

Written by Nana Sule

Feedback collected by Hadiza Yusuf Ahmad

Edited by Aisha Aminu

Reviewed and Approved by Amina Hanga