Stakeholders appeal to Nasarawa Govt. to offer scholarship to children in orphanages

STAKEHOLDERS in Nasarawa State have appealed to the state government to offer a scholarship to children in orphanages.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lafia, the stakeholders also appealed to the state government to increase funding for children in orphanages in the state.

Helen Ombugadu, Proprietress, Habo Children Orphanage, Lafia, said that she established the home in 2013 after the death of her husband.

She said that the home currently cared for 13 orphans from her little income and support from individuals.

“I pay the school fees of all the 13 children, feed and provide for their upkeep without any form of support from the government.

“I intend to train them to tertiary level until they can be on their own as my modest contribution towards rekindling their hope,” she added.

At Gidan Bege Orphanage, Esther Abga, a staff, said that though the facility received support from the state government on monthly basis for the upkeep of orphans in the Home, it was not adequate.

“We currently have 18 orphans, who are in different schools in the home,’’ she said.

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Abga said that the orphanage does not give the orphans up for adoption, but trains them to tertiary level.

She then appealed to the state government to offer a scholarship to all children in orphanages, to facilitate their studies to university level.

Mrs Hazel John, Principal Staff Officer in charge of Mumuna Katai Orphanage, told NAN that they currently had eight orphans, who were getting adequate support from the government.

She added that the orphanage gives the children up for adoption after interested persons have fulfilled all the necessary conditions for adoption.

“Usually a committee set up by the state government is responsible for assessing persons interested in adoption,” she added.

When contacted, Mary Owugulu, Nasarawa State Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, said the government gives support to state-owned orphanages and Gidan Bege Orphanage on monthly basis.

“We give N200, 000 to Mumuna Katai and N100, 000 to Gidan Bege on monthly basis,” she added.

NAN reports that the three orphanages in Lafia currently have a total of 39 children.