As Nigeria marks this year’s International Children’s Day, the co-founder of the Ayela Charity Foundation, Bukola Ayela has advised governments at all levels to initiate policies that would give more protection to orphans and vulnerable children in Nigeria.
She said it was imperative for the government, well-meaning individuals and organisations to do more to impact the lives of vulnerable children given the prevailing economic situation in the country.
Ayela stated this on Saturday while at the foundation’s Children’s Day event meant to celebrate orphans and vulnerable children which was held in Ikeja, Lagos.
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The Children’s Day event for this year has theme “Dream Big, Reach Big.”
The event was organised in collaboration with Palmpay, a financial services company and was attended by children from orphanages across Lagos State.
The event was aimed to put smiles on the faces of the children, while various gift items were offered to them.
Speaking on the essence of the event and the foundation’s activities, Ayele said the foundation’s program aims to support and empower children by providing them with digital skills and other forms of education.
Ayela highlighted that their outreach primarily focuses on orphanages with little to no support, ensuring the children feel included and valued among their peers.
Ayela emphasised that merely gifting children is insufficient to bring them happiness; instead, providing them with experiences and opportunities to have fun can profoundly change their perspective on life.
Enakeno Umuteme, head of marketing and communication at Palmpay, said the firm’s core mission was financial inclusion, but noted that they also had the desire to support Children’s Day celebrations.
He said, “Not everyone is as fortunate as others, and children are the future.”
Some of the children shared their experiences about the event, with many expressing joy and gratitude to the foundation and Palmpay for putting the event together.
Blossom Atunde, one of the children from the orphanage, stated that she had fun and learned some things she did not know in the quiz competition at the event.
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She further stated that the career talks was particularly inspiring, helping her realize her dreams and boosting her morale.
Another child, Isreal Adegbite, also expressed gratitude to the organizers, noting that he enjoyed several activities at the event and was happy to compete with other children.
“I want to thank the foundation and Plampay for putting this together, thank you very much. God bless you, I learned a lot from the career talk”, he said.
Children’s Day is celebrated worldwide to honour and promote the well-being and rights of children.
The date and traditions vary by country, but the essence remains the same, recognising the importance of children and advocating for their rights.
