The movie, centred on the plight of street children, has recorded tangible results in rehabilitating them.
AFTER successful screenings in Lagos, Abuja, Rome, Turin, London, and Congo, the producers of ‘The Oratory,’ a movie highlighting the plight of homeless children, have moved on to the next stage of the transformational project.
Directed by Obi Emenloye, ‘The Oratory’ features Enyinna Nwigwe, Rich Lowe Ikenna, Florence Okechukwu, Lawrence Nwali, Andrea Ferrara, David Davidson, Stephen Ogunnote, and Temidayo Akinboro. It began screening last year and is still showing in some Nigerian cinemas.
But as it continues to run, the producers, the Salesians of Don Bosco of the Catholic Church, have also begun recording successes in assisting street children.
The Salesians of Don Bosco updated about their activities at a media briefing in Lagos on Tuesday.
Chair of the special premiere organizing committee, Gbenga Adebija, executive producer, Dr Cyril Odia, and Project Coordinator, Rev Father Maximus Okoro, all gave updates.
Adebija reiterated that the movie is not just for entertainment but advocacy. “It is an integral aspect of a broader multi-dimensional initiative which Dr Odia and his fellow Salesians are passionately committed to bringing to fruition. ‘The Oratory’ is not the destination but a milestone on the journey. The end game is to create an inclusionary framework for uplifting homeless, delinquent and juvenile youths at risk of negative social situations such as violence, sexual abuse, trafficking, and crime.”
He added, “on a personal level, ‘The Oratory’ reminds us individually of our civic responsibilities towards internally displaced children and the imperative to support current and future initiatives to ameliorate this situation as best as we can.”
For Dr Odia, the high number of street children remains alarming and is a national embarrassment. He, however, expressed joy that Nigerians connected to the project after realizing the dire situation.
He said, “They believe we must do something urgently with the constant increase in street children. It is a national embarrassment, and we are getting the kids out of the street one at a time. The election year is coming, and there are all sorts of hopes and aspirations. People who feel the pinch the most are the young people thinking, ‘is this country ever going to be useful to me, or should I find my way out? But most of the young people we are talking about, those who will think about their future, are not there. They don’t have any hope. That is why we must be in a hurry to make sure that we reverse this situation.”
Dr Odia further reiterated that the Catholic Church takes youth welfare seriously, hence its outreaches to them. “It is a big deal concern for us. Part of our mandate is that there’s no youth on the street. We are passionate about the youth of the country. We might not have a permanent solution but caring for them is part of our mandate.”
Father Okoro, who coordinates Don Bosco’s interventions in Lagos, reeled out their other activities apart from The Oratory movie. He disclosed that the Order focuses more on the education and rehabilitation of street children. Father Okoro added that the Salesians have technical training schools and child protection centres for those abused, used for drug peddling, and children under substance abuse.
“We bring them into child protection centres and try to give them a better future by rehabilitating them. We are also involved in corporate social responsibilities by going to the rural areas to help them with their basic needs. We also respond to social menace like the campaign against irregular migrations. We collaborate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in creating awareness of irregular migration. The campaign is very active and ongoing in Lagos, Onitsha and Ijebu Ode, so it’s not just about the movie but the strategic intervention of the Salesians of Don Bosco.”
Director of Don Bosco Child Protection Centre, Raphael Airoboman, revealed that the mission had acquired a shelter for internally displaced children while working on getting a bigger one capable of hosting 2000 at once.
“Where I think we will ultimately arrive is a youth village with sports facilities, technical college and dormitories big enough to gather and cater for 1000 to 2000 children at a time. When they come in, after two or three years, they come out of the other side responsible enough to go into the society,” he said.
Actor Enyinna Nwigwe who was also present at the occasion, expressed happiness at being part of the project. He said he thoroughly enjoyed working with the director and that the movie’s storyline touched him. He disclosed that this was why his foundation is joining the Salesians in the laudable project of taking children off the street.
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