By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, Oct. 27, GNA – Parents have been urged to create safe spaces for children to express themselves freely, discuss their challenges and receive guidance without fear of judgement.
Mrs Olayinka Naa Dzama Wilson-Kofi, Founder of Divas and Dappers International (DDI), said open communication between parents and children was essential to building trust and helping parents to identify challenges their children might be facing before they escalated.
She gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the maiden edition of, “The Whole You Conference”, organised by DDI in Accra on the theme: “Glow Up: Inside Out (2 Corinthians 3:18)”
She said some young people struggled to discuss sensitive issues, particularly sexual matters, because they feared condemnation from society and found it difficult to confide in their parents.
As a result, some turned to their peers for guidance and risked being misled into making decisions that negatively affected their lives.
Mrs Wilson-Kofi said young people who felt they had fallen short of Christian expectations could also struggle with guilt, which could push them further away from their faith instead of encouraging them to seek help.
She said parents needed to create an environment in which children could discuss their concerns openly and receive guidance without feeling condemned.
“Even if it’s five minutes every day, five minutes would build up a lot than you losing out on your child,” she said.
She encouraged parents to spend quality time with their children, involve them in household activities, and engage them in conversations that would help them understand their children’s thoughts, concerns, and experiences.
“Let’s get them involved and then, you know, the questions and answers and all that, and then you’ll be surprised by the kind of questions or the responses they would give,” she said.
Mrs Wilson-Kofi also identified financial difficulties and identity struggles as challenges confronting some young women, saying some could become vulnerable to harmful choices when they lacked trusted people to confide in.
She encouraged young people facing difficulties to seek support from DDI or trusted individuals who would listen without taking advantage of them or condemning them.
Mrs Wilson-Kofi explained that the Conference was birthed after DDI had organised prayer retreats for eight years, as the organisation sought to complement members’ spiritual development with attention to other aspects of their lives, including health and financial well-being.
She said the theme, “Glow Up: Inside Out,” was chosen to encourage young people to understand their God-given identities and recognise their uniqueness rather than compare themselves with others.
The Founder said DDI would use participants’ feedback and observe changes in their lives to assess the Conference’s impact and improve future editions
She said DDI had lined up a series of activities for its members, including a dinner and awards ceremony in December 2026 to recognise members’ contributions.
Mrs Wilson-Kofi said the organisation was also planning its first international activity, a prayer retreat in Côte d’Ivoire in January, 2027.
Pastor Davis Borti, Founder of Davis Borti Ministry, who spoke on the topic “Designed on Purpose: Identity and Calling,” said discovering one’s purpose required a proper understanding of one’s identity and relationship with God.
He said people were created in the image of God and needed to identify with Him to understand His intentions for their lives.
Pastor Borti said access to the right knowledge, guidance and positive role models could help young people make informed decisions about their future rather than simply following paths chosen by others.
He said effective time management and discipline were also important in pursuing personal goals, encouraging young people to set daily targets and organise their activities to make productive use of the 24 hours available to everyone.
Pastor Borti urged young people to associate with people who could challenge them to grow, noting that although some might avoid pressure, constructive relationships could help them make progress.
Pastor Borti also encouraged parents to recognise children as precious gifts entrusted to them by God and to invest time and effort in their development.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Eric Appah Marfo