Dream Big 5.0: Amani Health challenges children to dream beyond limitations

Amani Health Inc. has urged children to dream beyond their present circumstances and not allow academic performance, family background or financial limitations to define what they can become.

The call was made at the fifth edition of the organisation’s annual Dream Big & Reach for the Stars programme, held on Saturday at Adasa Hall, Oregun, Lagos, over the weekend.

Themed “Bridging Ambitions Between Children and Parents: Whose Dream Is It Anyway?”, the event brought together children aged seven to 17, parents and professionals for conversations and activities centred on ambition, goal-setting, confidence and emotional well-being.

The programme featured games, critical-thinking activities and vision-board exercises designed to encourage children to identify their aspirations and think through practical ways of achieving them.

Amani Health Inc., a Lagos-based digital health organisation co-founded by Oluwarotimi Fasuyi and Ayodele Fasuyi, organises the initiative annually.

‘Dream beyond your circumstances’

Delivering the keynote address, Titi Adewusi, founder of 9ja Kids, urged the children not to allow their present circumstances to determine the scale of their ambitions.

She said academic performance, financial circumstances and family background should not become permanent limitations on what a child believes is possible.

“I want you to dream big,” she told the participants.

Ms Adewusi said Nigeria needed young people capable of imagining solutions to the country’s challenges and pursuing ambitions beyond conventional expectations.

“Nigeria is a giant. So we need giant dreamers and giant slayers,” she said.

She cited motivational speaker and entrepreneur Nick Vujicic, who was born without arms and legs, as an example of a person who overcame significant physical limitations.

Ms Adewusi also told the children that pursuing ambitious goals would inevitably involve setbacks.

“You will fail. You’ll start up again,” she said.

Parents’ role

The keynote speaker also challenged parents to broaden the opportunities and experiences available to their children.

She urged them to expose children to mentors, technology, artificial intelligence and programmes capable of expanding their understanding of what they could achieve.

According to her, the conventional expectation that a child should obtain an education and subsequently secure a traditional job was no longer sufficient preparation for the future.

“Those dreams are too small. Those dreams are ancient,” she said.

Ms Adewusi also encouraged parents to introduce their children to the journeys of successful people, including the failures and setbacks behind their achievements, rather than presenting success only as an end result.

Turning dreams into goals

Amani Health co-founder Oluwarotimi Fasuyi said the programme was designed to help children move from simply having aspirations to setting goals and developing plans for achieving them.

Mr Fasuyi said the vision-board exercise was particularly important because writing down and repeatedly seeing one’s goals could reinforce commitment to them.

“There’s power in what you see once you have it written down,” he said.

He noted that one of the programme’s significant outcomes over its five editions was seeing former participants return as speakers and role models for younger children.

Children’s well-being, identity

Mr Fasuyi said Amani Health was established to address behavioural, psychological and emotional challenges affecting children and young people.

He said the organisation provides access to therapists and clinical psychologists through its digital platform.

Mr Fasuyi also disclosed plans to establish a physical wellness and awareness centre where children and adults could access therapists, doctors and other forms of support.

Seye Oyagbile, founder of LeadLab and Bible Buddies, said introducing children to goal-setting at an early age could help them develop confidence and a stronger sense of identity.

“When you start by maybe age seven, teaching your children how to achieve goals, you are helping them develop the industry attributes,” he said.

Mr Oyagbile said the formative years were particularly important in helping children develop a sense of achievement rather than feelings of inadequacy.

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He also advised parents to expose their children to the experiences and journeys of successful people so they could understand the work, setbacks and persistence behind achievement.

‘No dream is actually unrealistic’

Fourteen-year-old Juwon Adedokun, who has participated in the programme for three years, said the initiative had helped him explore and develop his interests in technology, robotics, programming, chess, art and science.

He said Amani Health had also helped him learn how to set goals and work towards achieving them.

Mr Adedokun encouraged other children to remain ambitious while seeking guidance from their parents.

“I’d say that they should continue dreaming because no dream is actually unrealistic,” he said.

The programme also featured contributions from children and teenagers’ coach Ronke Orekoya, Oluwafunmilayo Amos-Alegbe and other panellists.

Sponsors of the fifth edition included KerryGold, BetaMalt, Milio and Indomie, among others.