The Nation Newspaper

Tag: child-care

  • Lagos, SOS partners on child care

    The Lagos State Ministry of Youths and Social Development and SOS Children’s Village, Nigeria has partnered on alternative child care in Lagos State.

    Speaking at the capacity building and stakeholders engagement, with the theme, ‘No child should grow up alone’, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Youths and Social Development, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, said government and organisations must continue in their efforts to define and identify systems of informal care and recognise its importance in embracing vulnerable children.

    According to him, the primary importance of alternative care for children is to keep them in when traumatised, and return to the care of their family when they are stabilised or find another appropriate care and permanent solution, that is a family.

    “Every child regardless of gender,, socio economic status,  ability and ethnic background has the right to live in a supportive, protective and caring environment that promotes his or her full potential.

    “Lagos state as a responsive government establishes various units and department to care for this category of children. We have government homes and approved private orphanages; they are not meant to institutionalise the children but to serve as a transit home to stabilise whatever traumatic experience the children might have gone through before they are either released to their biological parents, guardians, and relatives or adopted/fostered to willing and qualified homes.

    He urged stakeholders to work together and understand the impact of institutions on children, take measures to prevent the institutionalising of children and commit to transformation of family-based system of welfare and protection. “We must be actively imaged and be a part of the development of Child protection systems and the decision making process that directly affects them,” he said.

    National Director, SOS Children’s Villages, Nigeria, Eghosa Erhumwunse, said the program was to bring stakeholders together to talk about issues surrounding alternative care for children.

    He said idea was also to deinstitutionalise children, noting that children should have access to education, health, be able to interact in their community and be able to build good self-esteem.

    “When we deinstitutionalise children, they will be able to achieve their full potentials. We must strengthen families to prevent children moving away from their family homes to care centres, but we must also consider if the alternative care will enable the child to achieve their full potentials.

    “We need to educate children and the society at large to know and report cases of all forms of abuses. The reporting and responding mechanism also needs to be strengthened. “

    He said part of the observations at the stakeholders meeting shows that there is the need to have a holistic look at care system and provide broad solutions, noting that people who are meant to protect the children are in most cases abusing them.

    “Priority should be to work together to create a system in strengthening parents to provide quality care for children. Cases pertaining to children should be reported to the right law enforcement officers who are trained and deployed to handle such incidents and stakeholders should work tirelessly to build synergy.

    “Sufficient human and financial resources should be allocated by government to allow social welfare packages for families and children at risk. There should be prompt action in embracing De-institutionalization in the wake of extreme financial and economic difficulties. There should be family strengthening and empowerment programmes in place for vulnerable parents. There should be continuous sensitisation of the people on the Child Rights Law and it should be studied carefully by all stakeholders to understand the provisions therein,” he said.

     

  • Child care champion decries insensitivity to children plight

    Child care champion decries insensitivity to children plight

    Most of the news these days do not border on children winning awards and doing their country and family proud, but are on children being battered, abandoned, raped and abused.

    These days, children are abused repeatedly by those suppose to protect them.

    Agencies, individuals and non-government organisations (NGO’s) have been taken up the challenge of fighting back those hurting children and trying to take away their childhood. One of such NGO’s is the Yellow JerryCan Save a Child-Lend a Hand Foundation, initiated by popular broadcaster with the Africa Independent Television Adaora Onyechere.

    The initiator, who accused institutions, of insensitivity to the plights of children, said the judiciary, which should protect the rights of the child, is busy fighting political wars of corruption and allowing children to suffer. Instead of resolving cares brought to them, she said the courts, most times, advise parties to go and resolve the issue with the abuser.

    Speaking during the Yellow JerryCan’s Children’s Day celebration in Abuja, she said the group is dedicated to reaching out to children and women in the society who do not have a voice and also fighting for the homeless, child abuse victims, domestic violence victims and people who lack of access to good education.

    Onyechere, in trying to find solutions to the plight of children in the country and their continuous state of abandonment and neglect said they are taking up an initiative where they advise politicians most especially those in Abuja like the senators who all reside in Abuja to at least adopt a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) school, which does not have toilets to help eradicate disease to children due to open defecation.

    Her words: “We are not only reaching out to the Federal Government but other NGO’s so that we can work together, we need to look inwards because the government cannot do it all on their own and look at how we can help humanity by making sure that people that are in the lowest cadar will be able to encounter some form of mediation from us.

    “By the end of 2015, we where handling 112 cases of abuses including people who are older now but did not get justice when they were abused at a young age, I dare say this that we have a judiciary that is not really child sensitive, in the sense that we are teaming up with a set of political cases and corruption allegations that we are forgetting the level of interaction that is supposed to be done via the judiciary, the police system. You find out that cases of rape and abduction are still lodged in police head offices without any bureaucracy with the courts. What we found during the times that we encountered some of these children is that a lot of times, we are asked to go and settle out of court, a lot of times we are given dates and when we go, we are told that the person in charge is not on seat or don’t have a gender or child unit.

    “There is a lack of sensitivity to children in our institutions and I think, beginning from the ministry of women affairs to other agencies, you find that the only people who have some level of understanding are agencies that are affiliated with the federal government who bring them to light but the FG cannot be everywhere at ones, it needs watch dogs and NGO’s that can mediate between the government and the children. For me, it is not enough to talk of children out of school and children abused by the government but I will ask, who are your support groups, who are the agencies and organisations willing to help, we are concerned about commitment, if it is not ones child today, who knows it could be tomorrow so we do not have to wait until it happens to us.

    “This is our fourth year of operation and the objective of our foundation is to be advocates and voices for the voiceless especially IDPs, women, girls and physically disabled. We have often wondered when you look at the statistics of the children out of school and you will find out there is a high level of poverty, women do not have jobs, so for us the most important things is to begin to look at the empowerment of the gender which are women, mother of the child and also help the child and also help the child have access to some benefits to schools and also the public who are able to help.

    “For us the significance of the celebration is the fact that we have a number of children in the IDP camps out of school and today is a day set aside to commiserate and help us remember that we have lost some children as a result of insurgency. So, the children at the camps are brought into fusion with children from public schools to be able to experience a day together and through this medium the teachers from this school will be able to go the camps and help teach the kids, we bring relief materials to them through the medium as well.

    “Now we know there is a need to be able to have a learning centre within the IDP camp before they are even reconsidered taken back to their communities, it is a very long term project for us because some of the projects we are embarking on is to save the reading culture, we are also doing something we call adopt a school, which means that across states, beginning with the FCT, the number of public schools without sewage systems toilets is appalling and so we are trying to make sure that we are reaching out to people like the ministries, parastatals and the National Assembly who reside within the FCT, since they all have houses in Abuja, so why not pick up a school and build a toilet you will see that there will be less diseases and infections, there will be less environmental pollution especially when children are allowed to defecate in bushes, it is something we think that we cannot do alone and are calling on spiritual individuals and stakeholders involved.”

  • New life for child-care centre

    New life for child-care centre

    When parents needed a place to take their children with disability, the Child Care Trust (CCT) easily came to mind.

    The Child Care Trust consists of critical facilities such as classrooms, health care centre, large playgrounds as well as vocational training centres. These facilities aim at providing best form of care and upbringing of special children. Its operations are more of a boarding school.

    The facility is a non-governmental organisation (NGO), established by former First Lady, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo to cater for under-privileged children in the country. However, the once best rated school for the less-privileged in Africa is in dire need of revival.

    •A part of the facility
    •A part of the facility

    Some of the facilities that made it so exceptional are almost moribund. The health centre, which was a point of attraction for children suffering from one health issue or another, is no longer active. Prior to this time, there were concerns over survival of the school after the death of Mr. Obasanjo. It was gathered that the school had to suspend operations due to funding challenges until three years ago. So, basically the supports are meant for up-keep of the pupils, including the hard at hearing and different categories of mentally challenged kids.

    Situated in Bwari Local Council Area at the outskirts of Abuja, the school is tucked in a quiet environment, highly fortified with strong concrete fence. The fence is painted in white with a big tree right at the entrance of the premises. Aside from the presence of both uniformed security men and those on mufti, the entire premises were very tidy.

    During a visit to the school, Abuja Review met the pupils during their lunch time. The first pupil who met our correspondent was Chisom Obi, a Primary four student. He was careful in his pace because he could hardly get his steps right, as he walked in a meandering manner.

    After much effort, he managed to move some inches. On his face was an expression of someone who has been fed. He smiled out of the cafeteria as he approached our correspondent.

    On his experience at the school, Chisom said: “I like this place. They take care of us very well and we eat three times a day…”  Shortly after, the other pupils left the cafeteria for the alley. They were about 40 in number and of different ages, both male and female.

    Some have hearing impaired while others could hardly see. Yet, they were so excited to welcome visitors. The youngest among them was little Success who is about six years old. She is fair in complexion and looks so innocent. She solely depends on crouches before she could walk.

    Supports

    In a chat with one of the senior members of staff of the school, it was gathered that the school depends on volunteers and supports from individuals and big schools in the territory.

    Students of Durben Polytechnic, a higher institution in Bwari Local Council Area often celebrate their birthdays with the kids.

    “This place is not an orphanage. All these children have parents. So, during the holiday, they go home and come back to school after the holiday. So, it’s not an orphanage home per se,” the Coordinator, Mr. Thomas Ojo said.

    Continuing, she said: “We depend on volunteers in meeting our needs because the school is an NGO. So, with little supports from outside, we meet some of their needs.”

    When the school was inaugurated in May, 2000 by the late philanthropist, she did not know the edifice will become derelict decades after. It was her dream that the school would make greater exploit and create lasting impression in the minds of millions of children with challenges.

    Abuja Review further gathered that the son of the late Stella Obasanjo, Mr. Muyiwa Obasanjo, who is also the Chairman of the school, supported it immensely, the last time he visited from the United States. Prior to the visit, a Kubwa-based NGO, Solid Rock Foundation had visited the pupils.

    Mr. Ojo acknowledged it has become an annual event for the foundation to visit the school. As for him, the foundation was always offering many relief materials, including foods, to support the children. Ironically, there was silent murmur when our correspondent inquired when last the former President visited the school. “Former President…?”  One of the members of staff asked. “He has not visited this place since he left office. I think when the woman passed on was the end of his visit to this place.”

    It was gathered that no tangible help comes from the family. “Nothing is coming from the family. The only support we got is from the Chairman of the school, who is the son of late Stella Obasanjo who doesn’t live in Nigeria but in US,” our source said.

    Extra-curricular activities

    •The children at play
    •The children at play

    Apart from regular normal school activities, the pupils were also engaged in vocational activities such as bead making. Others include salon and hairdressing and tailoring, among others.

    The school authorities appealed to public-spirited individuals to help in training some of the students.

    Alaba is the most popular student in the school. He is considered as one of the talented students who love drama and dancing. The 18-year-old boy, despite his situation, was willing to showcase his creative talent. Deliberate efforts are, however, being made to ensure their needs are met. There are plans to also visit corporate organisations and other related institutions to solicit supports for the school.

    On staff motivation, the coordinator said the organisation is trying its best. “When they are sick, we take them to the general hospital to see a doctor. We are actually short of funds and that’s why we cannot employ medical personnel,” Ojo, who suggested that actors and artistes could promote the centre through their activities and songs, said.

    “Empress once came to take pictures with them some time ago and during December, 2014, the artiste invited them to a party to celebrate with her, he said.” Expectations are, however, high that the Federal Ministries of Education and Youth Development would consider addressing some of the needs of the school as private individuals could unite to reposition the Child Care Trust.

  • Ekiti to inaugurate early-child-care centres

    Ekiti State Government yesterday spoke of plans to inaugurate the three mega early-child-care centres being developed in the three senatorial districts.

    It said this would ensure solid educational foundation for children.

    The facilities are located in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital (Central), Ikole-Ekiti (North) and Ikere-Ekiti South).

    Governor Kayode Fayemi said at the inauguration of a block of six classrooms built by the Nigerian Breweries Plc at St. Barnabas CAC Nursery and Primary School, Ajilosun, Ado-Ekiti that the facilities were central to having a sound education.

    Represented by his deputy, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, the governor listed efficient and effective teaching force, a conducive teaching and learning environment, provision of essential instructional materials, among others as essential ingredients for a meaningful primary education.

    He said the ingredients are in addition to the implementation of an approved curriculum.

    Governor Fayemi said: “The present administration has built a dedicated and highly- contented teaching force with the recent approval of promotion for 1,994 teachers and the payment of Teacher Peculiar Allowance (TPA). Primary school staff vehicle/housing loans and rural teachers’ allowance of 10 per cent have been passed into law for implementation to boost the morale of teachers.”

    The governor described the donation of a block of six classrooms by the Nigerian Breweries Plc as a fruitful collaboration between the private and public sectors.

    He described the gesture as an indication that the efforts of the administration in the education sector are attracting the attention of corporate bodies, such as the Nigerian Breweries Plc.

    Hailing the company for considering Ekiti State for such project, Governor Fayemi urged teachers and pupils to make good use of the building and the furniture provided by the firm.

    He enjoined other stakeholders, including parents, guardians, faith-based organisations, financial institutions and corporate organisations to emulate the Nigerian Breweries Plc and join hands in moving education forward.

    The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Breweries Plc, who was represented by the General Manager, Ibadan Plant, Mr. Goke Adeyemi, lauded the state for its spirited efforts at reforming and restoring the legacy and pride of sound education.

    The manager said Ekiti State was famous for its intellectual leadership throughout the world because of its love for education.

    He said the donation of the block of classrooms was part of his company’s contribution to the infrastructural challenges in the education sector.

    Adeyemi described the intervention as a way of identifying with the feats attained by the Fayemi administration, especially in the area of education.