In a bid to reduce child trafficking and juvenile delinquency to minimum level in the country, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with the Kwara State Government recently organised a stakeholders’ sensitisation programme on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC).
No fewer than 70 stakeholders participated in the programme which took place at the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Ilorin.
Speaking during the programme, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Toyin Ahmed said, “When we attended a national conference in Abuja, we were told to collect OVC data in each state to enable both federal and state governments in collaboration with International organisations/Non Governmental Organisation fine tune ways to assist vulnerable children in the society.
“A consultant was assigned to each state to unify Civil Society Organisations and stakeholders whose responsibility work is to improve the conditions of these children.
The Permanent Secretary who spoke through the Director of Child in the Ministry, Hajia Sikirat Ibrahim tasked the stakeholders to partner the Ministry to smoothen their service and have an accurate data of OVC in the state.
Similarly, the Consultant, Mrs. Christie Aboyemi Olawale, said upon her posting to Kwara State, she noticed that a lot of groups and Civil Society Organisations are doing much as regard the issue of vulnerable children but unfortunately there is no proper coordination and documentation.
“For us to have an efficient work, we need to bring all these stakeholders together to know what they are doing so that when the need for referral and linkages arise, it will be easy to refer to them appropriately.”
Olawale stressed that the essence of the programme is to strengthen the relationship among the stakeholders with state and federal government in order to enhance services to the vulnerable children and their households.
The various participants who spoke with this medium lauded the programme and assured that it will go a long way in reducing the sufferings of vulnerable children in the society.
