Blackie, Yamleg, Lefty (BYL) is a documentary #film that addresses the challenges teenagers go through in developing a healthy self-esteem and how the family unit plays an integral role in their sense of self-worth.
This documentary film shines a spotlight on how peer pressure, body shaming and family background affect the self-esteem of teenagers. This film targets teenagers’ in-school and out-of-school and aims to reduce the cycle of silence on issues that have to do with the #mentalhealth, #selfesteem and emotional well being of adolescents.
In this documentary, Oghenefego Ofili uses her story as the foundation to highlight the struggles young people go through growing up and how this affects their sense of self-worth. In the first phase of this project, a survey was conducted to understand the contemporary teenager and the challenges they face in relation to their self-esteem. A total of 200 young people between age 12 and 20 years in three secondary schools in Lagos participated in the study.
Results showed that 41% of the surveyed population had low self-esteem. 58.5% felt they did not meet up with the standards of their friends, 35.3% reported they did not like a part of their appearance, while 40% felt their friends looked better than them.
Although this film tells Oghenefego’s story, it serves as a platform where others share their experiences as teenagers and how they navigated through peer pressure, body shaming and the feeling of being less than others.
Toyin Poju-Oyemade, a media content producer shared how the sudden change in her family’s income due to job loss affected her sense of self-worth and how she always felt insecure about her facial features and almost gave up on her dream of being in front of the camera. At some point in her career, she considered suicide as an option. She calls out to parents to update their parenting techniques to avoid raising children who end up as depressed, suicidal adults.
Joy Obehi-Ayemhere, a HR Consultant and Teens Coach shared how she was body shamed by her peers for being ‘fat’ and how this caused her to be withdrawn. She also shared how she overcame this obstacle.
Anthony Ambrose, a photographer suffered the consequences of a broken home, where his father disowned him and his siblings. He has had to take up the responsibility of providing for his younger siblings and sick mother.
Battling sickle cell and having to prove herself at every point in her life was a struggle for Ejiro Edhughoro, a multimedia journalist.
Expert opinion was provided by Dr Maymunah Kadiri, Nigeria’s topmost psychiatrist and mental health expert. She proffered solutions and how parents can be intentional in raising children with good self-esteem.
We also interviewed teenagers who shared their experiences of how they constantly navigate the struggle to maintain a healthy self-esteem. At the end of the documentary, these teenagers are given an opportunity to talk directly to their parents/guardians like they could see them. This could be one of the most eye-opening and emotional part of this film.
Blackie, Yam-leg, Lefty is recommended as an educational tool for the family. For #teenagers, it helps them realize they are not the first to go through whatever circumstance they currently find themselves. And for #parents, it helps them pay closer attention to the mental wellbeing of their children and become more deliberate in raising children with a good sense of self-worth and esteem.
18 сен 2024
