It was a cheerful moments for children at Vine Heritage Home, in Kuje Area council when ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) in collaboration with the European Union, EU, unveiled a new construction for the home worth over N200 million.
Blueprint observed that the children in the home couldn’t hold their excitement on the good gesture of ActionAid Nigeria and EU.
The Head of Operations of the home, Olusola Steven, who accommodated over 157 children who were been rescued from infanticide practice by 57 communities in five Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT expressed excitement at the gesture.
At the groundbreaking ceremony of the home on Thursday in Abuja, he said “We are happy, excited and elated with this because it is a dream come through, which if the project is completed will help me to take care of the children properly than the president.
Steven also urged government to provide healthcare facilities, roads and more sensitization of the communities, which they have started making effort in that direction, and should do more.
The EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Ketil Karlsen, performed the ground-breaking at VHH’s new site located in Chikuku community of Gwagwalada Area Council.
According to the EU envoy and ActionAid Country Director, Ene Obi, the project will be completed in 32 weeks with funding to gulp €495, 000 (N204, 964, 000), part of which will be used to build dormitories and classrooms for the ostracized children.
The ActionAid Nigeria Country Director’s Ene Obi lamented that the prevalence of harmful practices against children in Nigeria poses enormous challenges to the realisation of the rights of the child as stipulated in national, regional and global legal instruments. She explained that the legendary efforts of Mary Slessor who pioneered the campaigns and advocacy for the stoppage of killing of twins remain a reference point in the historical trajectory on child’s rights promotion and protection in Nigeria.
According to her, Infanticide being one of the harmful practices is known to be practised in different parts of Nigeria. However, the FCT by far has the greatest number of communities practising infanticide and is the most documented going by informal statistics.
She further said the complex which is due to be delivered in 32 weeks will provide decent shelter to ostracized children in FCT who are in danger of being killed due to cultural practices.
According to her “The project is funded both by the European Union and AAN and we have been working closely with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), traditional rulers, area councils, and the communities.
“One of the specific objectives of the project is to ensure the implementation and monitoring of existing legal and policy frameworks that address infanticide practices in the FCT.”
She also explained that, “Beyond providing shelter, the project aims to raise awareness in the FCT on infanticide practices, especially among practising communities and to establish mechanisms to safeguard unborn babies and infants who are vulnerable.
Through the initiatives, AAN and partners will be reaching out to community leaders, birth attendants, caregivers, media organisations, as well as various government establishments such as the National Assembly, FCT Social Development Secretariat, Child Rights Implementation Committees, and National Population Commission.”
In her words “Already, we have trained 75 traditional birth attendants across various communities using the Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) with the manual of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
“We have also conducted a baseline survey and also acquired a piece of land for VHH to enable us to build a school and dormitory with other facilities, which is the reason we are here today.
“It is cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment against children. It also constitutes violence and harmful practice against children considering the provisions of the Child Rights Act 2003”, she said.
Also, the Vice Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mohammed Kashim, said it is a good development by the donor stating that it is not easy for people to give back to society because it has to do with vulnerable children who are likely going to be the future of the country.
