ASOHON laments increasing number of orphans, vulnerable children

Shelter operators in Nigeria under the aegis of Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators in Nigeria (ASOHON) has lamented the rate at which people storm their facilitates with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), calling for creation of alternative care to stall impending calamities that may arise from orphanages filing up and unable to cater for OVC

The group also decried the dearth of donations and philanthropic gestures due to dire economic straits leading to dwindling economy which has made life difficult for operators hence the need for quick intervention of other relevant stakeholders.

The home owners made the call at the end of a two-day collaborate summit organised by the Southwest zonal chapter of ASOHON and Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), a global platform for Christians leaders in the child protection sector which held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

The summit, themed “Creating Alternative Care Awareness for Best Interest of Orphans,” was to share expertise, build connections, learn global best practices and positively influence child protection activities at national and sub national levels.

Speaking, ASOHON National President, Dr Gabriel Oyedeji said the situation across the country is making it difficult for many orphanage homes to run as many are over stretching their facilities in the bid to cater for the increasing number of children in need of shelter, care and attention across the country.

“Due to economic situation, many parents push their children to illicit activities such as child trading, many children are the breadwinners for their families. Some push their girl child to immoral activities, sex trade and others.

“Some children after being reunited to the family after a short time will be calling that they want to return to the orphanage homes and even the parents will be begging that we take the child back because there’s no food to feed the child and no money to send them to school.

“Some children who have even gone back to their parents and relatives still call us back after two to three years begging that there’s no means of survival. We need to ensure that the economic situation in the society is better before enforce we begin to push children out of homes,” he said.

Also speaking, the Southwest Coordinator, Mrs Rosemary Ogigbo recounted pathetic situation of many homes and how they are under pressure from parents, government and religious organisations to take care of OVCs.

She said “We picked the topic because it is becoming so unbearable the rate at which children are abandoned either on the street, in orphanage homes. Recently, a man with four children was roaming the street because the wife abandoned him and by the time I asked him what he wanted, he said the home should take care of the kids.

“In the same week, we met another person with the same situation and so the rate is becoming so alarming and most homes are overfilled with children, orphans and vulnerable children.

“Then, it is not only orphans that we are talking about now, we are talking about children who even still have single parents but that the parents cannot cater for them. There are some others who are orphans and with relations around. The relations will boldly tell you that they don’t even have capacity to cater for their own children let alone adding another child to it.

“So, children kept on being sent to homes by good samaritans, by the state, religious organisation, among others. That was why we felt we should look at the topic and we see what we can do as a body in collaboration with the government to look into other alternative cares for OVC children in the state,” she added.

They however appealed to the government to consider looking at alternative approaches to providing care for the OVC to foster better development of the children.

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