Rural Orphans and Vulnerable children to get lifeline from group

 For many children who have lost hope of a brighter future or living a life of abject undesired poverty in rural communities in Ekiti State as a result of the lost of their parents, poverty, illiteracy, or the dangerous and vulnerable environment they found themselves succour is about coming their ways. A non-governmental organisation Humanity family Foundation for Peace and Development (HUFFPED) in conjunction with PACT an implementing agency of the United States Agencies for International Development (USAID) has taken it upon itself to be the answer to the need of these children through a PACT/USAID funded project that is specifically aimed at providing the needed support and service needed for the proper growth of the child mentally and physically.

 

To do these, 66 community volunteers who are expected to help the organisation in the selection and identification of the children that are truly in need of the support and services the funds want to offer were trained for six days in two communities in Ikole Local Government area of Ekiti State. 11 volunteers each from Oke-Ako, Ipao, Irele, Odo-Oro, Itapaji and Iyemero all rural communities in Ikole Local government were trained on the use of the Child Status Index (CSI) tools that were developed to be used to pick and identify the children in need and the type of support and services they required to live a better live.

 

The project is expected to reach over 1,000 children in the six communities and it also aims to reach the parents, guardian or the caregivers of these children who in one way or another are not capable of taking good care of the children the way it ought to be by providing economic empowerment services for them.

 

The support and services expected to be offered to the children who will be enrolled for the project include Food and Nutritional support such as provision of foods and nutritional supplement like vitamins, Shelter and care such as helping in repairing the house, providing accommodation and the likes, Child Protection from abuse and exploitation and provision of legal services when needed, health care services, education and skills training such as provision of school materials and where necessary payment of school fees, Psychosocial support services such as counselling, and Household Economic Strengthen to empower the parents, guardians or caregivers.

 

The enthusiasm, passion and interest of the volunteers and the communities at large to fully embrace the project indicated the desire of communities to bring about the needed development for their communities. From the kings who promised to support the programme anytime they are called upon to the volunteers who all vowed to ensure that the lives of the children in their respective communities are better, it was indeed a rare example of real development they way it should be.

 

The project is part of PACT’s five-year Community REACH Nigeria (Rapid and Effective Action Combating HIV/AIDS in Nigeria) programme which started in 2009 focuses on managing HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support program, with emphasis on community level interventions that focus on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and prevention programming. It runs in other states of the federation, HUFFPED founded in 2003 is one of the implementing organisations.