My name is Widdlack Widdlack (Nyahwedegwe), and Young & Rising is a vision that has been growing with me for many years.
The idea was born in 2016 during a mentorship session that I attended. During that session, I was challenged to think about my future and identify something meaningful I wanted to contribute to the world. I was encouraged to write down a vision that was bigger than my current circumstances and that might take years to achieve.
Among the things I wrote down that day was a dream of creating a mentorship platform for young people.
At the time, I knew I was not yet ready.
I believed that if I was going to build something that could genuinely help young people, I first needed to invest in my own growth. I needed more knowledge, more experience, more exposure, and more wisdom. So I made a decision to focus on learning, serving, building, and growing, trusting that the vision would come to life at the right time.
Over the years, I pursued academic training, gained professional experience, served in ministry, worked in community development, built technology solutions, and experienced the joys and responsibilities of family life.
Today, I am privileged to serve in several roles that have shaped my understanding of people and their journeys. I am a Counselling Psychologist with a Master of Science (MSc) in Counselling Psychology, a Pastor with at least seven years of ministry experience, a Development Practitioner with more than seven years of experience, a Systems Developer with over ten years of experience, a husband, and a father.
Each of these roles has taught me valuable lessons about life, relationships, purpose, leadership, personal growth, and the challenges that young people face every day.
Throughout my work, I have met many young people who are talented, capable, and full of potential, yet often struggle with questions such as:
- Who am I?
- What am I good at?
- Why do I think differently from other people?
- What career should I pursue?
- Am I ready for a relationship?
- Why do I keep making the same mistakes?
- How do I build a meaningful future?
I created Young & Rising to help answer those questions.
My vision is to provide a platform where young people can discover themselves, understand their strengths, identify areas for growth, and access practical mentorship tools that support their personal development journey.
Young & Rising is currently offered free of charge as my personal social investment. I believe that mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for growth should not be reserved only for those who can afford them.
As resources allow, I intend to continue building this platform, adding new tools, assessments, mentoring resources, and learning opportunities that can benefit young people across communities, countries, and generations.
My hope is simple: that Young & Rising becomes a trusted companion for young people as they navigate life, relationships, careers, leadership, entrepreneurship, faith, and personal growth.
If this platform helps even one young person discover their purpose, make a wiser decision, build a healthier relationship, or pursue a brighter future, then it is already fulfilling its mission.
Thank you for being part of this journey.