Home for street boys launched in Abeokuta to raise future leaders

Founder of the Household of Love Foundation, Mrs Anthonia Titlayo Akinlawon, has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to rehabilitating and empowering street boys across Nigeria, with the unveiling of a new residential facility in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

At the dedication ceremony held during the week, Akinlawon explained that the foundation would provide shelter, mentorship, and access to quality education for 14 street boys, with the aim of reintegrating them into society as productive citizens.

“I had mentored a few boys on a smaller scale—one is now a lawyer, another a medical doctor. These were once street boys with no clear direction.”

She noted that the newly commissioned home is equipped to accommodate 14 boys and house parents—“not masters,” she emphasised—because “this is a home.” The initiative, she said, will cater to both academically inclined boys and those who may benefit more from vocational training.

“Our goal is not just to provide a roof over their heads, but to raise men who will go on to uplift others. We prefer those with the potential to pursue higher education, ideally at private universities, despite the financial demands,” she added.

Present at the ceremony was the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr Adewale Martins, praised the initiative.

The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, commended Akinlawon’s dedication to social upliftment.

He pledged his personal support for the home.

“Those who give back to humanity are never forgotten. It is not an easy task, and I commend her selflessness. I will be a frequent visitor to this home,” the traditional ruler said.

The event drew stakeholders from religious, traditional, and civil society circles, all unified in their call for more initiatives targeted at rehabilitating and empowering vulnerable youth.

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