By Justina Auta
Stakeholders on Saturday called for fostering of orphans and vulnerable street children to prevent them from being recruited into violent extremism and other vices.
They made the call during the 2022 Halal Children’s Home awareness walk in Abuja, with the theme,” Fostering a Path to Paradise.”
Mrs Maryam Lemu, Founder, Marriage Academy, said showing love, support and fostering orphans and vulnerable children would positively impact their lives and bring more blessings to the caregivers.
”I am here to encourage people to foster, bring these children into your home for a few months to show them love, bring them into your family.
”They didn’t choose to be in the situation they are in, but Allah chose you to be the one that might lighten their load, support them and show them love.
”Getting more people to be concerned and understand that these young children if they are neglected become the soft target to violent extremism, where radicals can easily recruit them.
”They are vulnerable and easily influenced and we have to start making ourselves aware that if we ignore these and what we feel to be somebody else’s problem will end up being our problem,” she said.
Lemu, also called on the government to implement policies and programmes that would protect the lives of the children and ensure their rights were protected.
Mrs Abiola Abdulrasheed, Vice President of the organisation said Hala Children’s Home is an Islamic oriented children’s home to rehabilitate and reintegrate orphans and vulnerable children back to the society.
Abdulrasheed harped on the need for every individual to make the world a better place by contributing immensely towards ridding ills, helping the less privileged and developing the society.
“We shouldn’t make them feel as if they are responsible to what destiny has bestowed on them.
”Every child needs a home, someone to look up to, someone to be responsible for, if you talk to any of these children having issues now, they will tell you nobody told them what to do, how to do it.
”Having a mother and father figure goes a long way in bringing up a good child,” she said.
According to her, they have a school, skills acquisition centre and designed a pathway for the boys to be reintegrated into the society.
On his part, Sheikh Abu Mazeeda, Provost, International Institute of Islamic Therapy, Abuja, encouraged the public to adhere to the teachings of Islam by showing love and give charity to the less privileged.
He said no one was disadvantaged as an orphan as Islam admonished all to take care of them.
“When you pick up these children, you house, clothe, foster them and bring them to live with your children, Allah’s compassion will follow the household.
”And the house will be filled with Allah’s mercy, that is why these sisters have chosen to do this and we have equally resolved to support them,” he said.
Other highpoints of the events were free medical consultation and lectures.
