Idea Builders’ incorporates a number of projects/initiatives that facilitate empowerment of individual women & girls entering our programmes. Women Mentoring Women™ Partnership, Womenterprise, Wellness & Wellbeing/Self Esteem, Gender balance & VAW Campaigns, Leadership Preparation and Career/Social Coaching initiatives incorporated into the programmes through activities and outside facilitators.

 Women Mentoring Women™Partnership

Idea Builders’ mission is to empower women & girls to live lives of choice. The programme matches young women across the country with inspirational mentors who can guide them in developing better self-esteem, growing their small businesses, nurturing relationships, and making positive life choices. Many girls enter the programme experiencing varying levels of struggles or social challenges. This mentoring programme helps women & girls to envision a positive life beyond what they currently experience in a 1:1 supportive relationship. Everyone is unique and therefore every mentoring relationship looks different, but the reward for both the mentee and mentor is undeniable.

 Womenterprise

The Womenterprise Training provides the fundamentals for socioeconomic empowerment. It covers how to manage, budget, save, spend, and invest money. Women and girls are given the tools to seize those opportunities in order to increase their chances of self-sufficient and successful futures. We help our target group to create a "plan of action" where they set educational, vocational and/or career goals for themselves.

This component also delivers job readiness and micro enterprise start-up services supported by the Spring Board Women Development programme. It also creates awareness of career and educational opportunities –recognising that many young women are talented, yet rarely have the opportunity or ability to express themselves creatively. The ultimate aim is to measurably improve a woman/girl’s chance of realizing financial and social independence.

 Wellness & Wellbeing Workshop Series

The Women wellness and wellbeing initiative aims to have women serve as models for healthy lifestyle choices and to help increase their self-confidence in being proactive enough to check their health status. Knowing the impact of poor food choices and physical inactivity, the initiative provides an interactive platform comprising a panel of experts in the field to increase knowledge about nutrition, diet, physical activity, and the importance of sustainable health habits. This initiative is supported through partnership with Nestle Nigeria Limited.

 Violence against Women

This is an advocacy action which campaigns against VAW as an extreme human rights violation, a public health epidemic and a barrier to community development; empowers women & girls to see themselves as individuals who can make a positive impact in their communities; emphasizes strategic communication skills as an effective means to resolve conflict.

Just 8 years ago, when Idea Builders was first emerging, we didn’t have the vocabulary to describe violence against women as a major contributor to the disempowerment of women & girls. There are, comparatively, very few people speaking about the issue, and till date, even fewer laws to protect victims. In fact, most cases are trivialised and dismissed on the grounds of culturally accepted practices …nd women are most often the victims. With its cultural, traditional, domestic, political and economic dimensions – it is sometimes complex and elaborate.

This component also advocates whistle blowing –a shift away from denial – because our mindset of perpetual denial is one of the reasons violence against women continues unabated. The ultimate objective is to measurably improve a woman’s chance of living a more harmonious, peaceful and productive life.

 Leadership Preparation

We know that women are leading change in their communities, and we need to equip them with the skills to navigate their political environment, in order to be as effective as possible in achieving progress. This we do by creating ways to enhance women’s ability to effectively lead and be heard in the public sphere.

 Gender Balance

For idea Builders’, the term "gender" is comprehensive and covers the interrelated effects of gender dynamics on actions and reactions of both women and men. Here we use issue dialogues, debates, campaigns and other educational interventions- to share and learn more about the attitudes and behaviours that both men and women must face, challenge and change. Personal and structural transformation is the goal, but a strong knowledge base about the complexities of gender is always a great starting point.

 Social Coaching

This component serves as an instrument of change within the mentoring context and which exposes participants to a type of education comprising knowledge of historical origins, perceptions of the future and an understanding of the world and advancement in culture. A Woman is a reflection of the society in which she lives so we strive to create social bonds as a means of eliciting meaningful conversation.

It is also a means of giving back to the community and teaching young women the benefit of volunteering. Ultimately, the benefits enrich all -serving as a platform to inspire the altruistic spirit of ‘paying it forward’ to the community.

Our Projects/Initiatives are closely knitted to fall under three main program thrusts:

Gender Equality - We oppose gender discrimination and all forms of violence against women & girls.

Social Entrepreneurship - We enable women to become change agents – food security champions, advocates for social justice, environment and community development.

Economic Empowerment - We equip women with social, enterprise and communications skills to grow their businesses, increase household incomes and secure their livelihoods.