Despite the fuel shortage challenges, schools and other public institutions marked the Children’s Day. But to the less privileged kids at the Abuja Children’s Home, Karu, the day held no promise until members of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Abuja Chapter paid them a visit.
On arrival, Naimat Suleiman, a Nursery 1A pupil at the Abuja Children Home, caught the attention of the NIPR executives. She relies solely on help from people for her mobility. Why? The six-year-old is handicapped. Yet, she was in a little brawl with her friend clearly because she wanted her friend to stop playing and pick her book and do her homework.
Perhaps, she felt work should precede play. But for the swift intervention of one of the officials of the NIPR, the exchange of words between the little kids would have lasted longer.
At last both parties accepted truce ushered by the NIPR executive. The crisis management was further complemented with bags of rice, noodles, biscuits, drinks brought for the children to celebrate their special day.
Among other items were detergents, clothing materials, plastic buckets, Sharpview Multisystem television with Startimes Antenna, decoder with subscription.
Abuja Review gathered that the essence of the visit was to give the children a sense of belonging and not being left out of the fun which their able-bodied counterparts would have taken for granted.
Some of the pupils were sighted at recreation field within the premises playing with their regular toys. But it’s common knowledge that Children’s Day celebration is always busy with different activities lined up to make it remarkable.
Aside from the annual students’ parade, there are also athletic events, dance, performances from voluntary organisations such as Boys Scouts, Man ‘O’ War among others. Boys Brigades also displays their artistic beats of drums. These arrays of presentations definitely create exciting but lasting memory in the mind of the children.
According to the NIPR FCT Chairman, Ohaeri Osondu in his opening remarks, the NIPR considered it necessary to visit the orphanage. He said the visit was in compliance with the principle of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which the body strongly believes such that organisations should give back to their host community. He observed that most parents would take their kids to the Zoo, amusement parks or a special place but the less privilege children have no option than to be in door. “We see it as symbolic in the sense that as we are marking the children’s day…..some of our parents have the opportunity to take their children out for recreational activities. They visit one refreshment joint or another but for us in NIPR, we hold tenaciously to the principle of corporate social responsibility. You strive to impact on your immediate neighbor.
“We looked at our programme and we realise our immediate neigbour on a day like this happens to be Abuja children home. We felt the need to come with clothing, medical items. We also came with Television and decoder so that we can expand their horizon about their society and the outside world.
“We came to see how we can impact on the children’s lives because we strongly believe that whatever we are doing now for our children, they should also transcend beyond our homes because nobody knows the person who will stand out as future leader of this country. It could be from this home.
“So for us in NIPR, we felt the need to do it for the good of our nation, Nigeria.” Earlier, members of the institute were conducted round the premises to have a view of the composition of the home. They moved from the hostels to the day care center, the school, the mosque among other facilities. The auditorium is equipped with multimedia facility. So, the chairman sought the opportunity to commend the FCT administration.
“Something good is happening in this home. The environment is hygienically taken care of so that the children can have good mentoring and psychological development.”
Nevertheless, despite the commendations, more so, from the administrator of the orphanage, Alhaji Sulaiman Umar, there was call to maintain the structures. Umar also requested for more supports asking other corporate organisations to imitate kind gesture of the NIPR. He said they were faced with challenges of power, water and some basic needs. While acknowledging the present friction in the nation’s economy, he noted that the children were innocent and should not be made to under poor living conditions.
“I am basically happy with this. I love these children. These children are for all Nigerians. Definitely some will be in great government positions because they are talented. So what we need to do is to help them in the right way. They need love and perfection like every other
child in this country. So I am very happy with the gesture of the NIPR. I appreciate them and I look forward to other people coming to support orphanage home or child care institution across the country.”
According to him, the donations will make great impacts in running activities of the orphanage. “There have been some hardships lately just like around the country. So they can go to school with the snacks and food items in their lunch boxes.
He commended the FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed for the renovation of the entire premises. “You can see around that the home has been renovated. The houses and everywhere has been renovated to international standard. But everything boils down to finance. We need many things to maintain this home such as human, medical, electricity, water bill, cars, staff maintenance even building.”
Members of the institute eventually took pictures with the kids as well as management of the home.
