Junior Chambers International (JCI), Odua Chapter in collaboration with Rotary Club of Ibadan Ologuneru on Saturday empowered a 14-year-old inmate at the Juvenile Correctional Home, Ibadan, Basit Abudulfarouk.
Abudulfarouk was empowered with equipment and a kiosk to thrive in vulcanizing business which will be stationed by the gate of the correctional home.
The JCI President, Oluwashinaayomi Akomolafe, said the empowerment was in line with JCIs annual goodwill programme.
“Every year we do a goodwill programme in a less-privileged home where we identify a particular child and we empower him or her. This is in line with our aim at making a child smile.
“When we visited here a while back and we were told about Basit’s ordeal, we decided to empower him. We learnt his father died, the mother remarried and he hasn’t been well taken care of.
“He ran away from home at 11 years and went to Lagos to sleep under the bridge. He started learning this trade while in Lagos.
“One day, the Lagos State Government found him and brought him back to this correctional home here in Ibadan. We felt what he learnt shouldn’t be wasted and decided to set him up.
“I expect all NGOs to be doing what we are doing here today to impact society because the government alone can’t do it. Putting a smile on a child’s face can change the world, maybe not the whole world but at least their worlds,” he said.
The President of Rotary Club Ibadan Ologuneru, Oluwatosin Adejare, said that “we rise by lifting others and no one can rise alone without assistance,” adding that it is only when one lends a helping hand that an individual can rise.
She said: “I want other NGOs and philanthropists to imbibe the spirit of helping others to rise. They should visit places where people need their help and contribute their own quota to changing people’s lives.
“It’s when we all contribute to changing the lives of people for good that we can have a better Nigeria and world to live in. Most of the hoodlums and the rest in Nigeria are into it due to idleness and lack of basic amenities such as food and shelter.
“Some even learnt a trade but had no funds to set up and some are even graduates with no job,” she said.
Mrs Goke Aderenle on behalf of the home thanked the donors for taking the initiative to change the life of Basit.”
Aderenle said that the gesture is highly appreciated and looked forward to more from the general public.
The beneficiary, Abudulfarouk said that his aim is to go back to school, adding that the proceeds from the business would be kept to facilitate his return to school.
“I want to go back to school so as to be successful, I will be keeping all the money I make here so as to pay my fees when the time comes,” he said.
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