The Adekunle Child Foundation

Children’s day

Sunday 27th of May 2018 was Children’s day and #TACF celebrated it in a very special way. In partnership with #UBBAHARRIS REACH OUT FOUNDATION and #GAZELLA FOUNDATION, we went to the #TudunWada Community in Bwari and had fun with the children dear. Ofcourse we didn’t go empty handed. Over #700 children were fed, drinks and cake was also shared, exercise books and pens for the students and the older women were not left out as they were given packs of uncooked rice. It was definitely an impactful outing and we had fun doing it.
Once again, TACF is saying HAPPY CHILDREN’S DAY to all the beautiful children out there.

BIZARRE

The news below was one of the eye-catching news of the week, widely reported in the newspapers.
A 6-year old girl thrown into the well for allegedly being a witch. This is not just the zenith of wickedness, it is simply bizarre. It is sad that there are so many ‘parents’ out there who do not deserve to have children. they simply have no clue what to do with them. They exist right in our communities, some, our next-door neighbours. For a man like the one in this story, it is highly probable that he has been exhibiting traits of wickedness leading to this reprehensible abuse of his daughter. hence it is the duty of all in the community to watch out for any child that shows the slightest sign of abuse and torture and come to their rescue.
TACF hopes the law will take its full course.
Chimdinma Emma Odunze
Tunde Elijah Kelani
Akinbisola Stephen Akinkunle
Ogunade Christopher Adekunle

TACF CHILD ADVOCACY INITIATIVE – REPRIEVE FOR REJOICE DANIEL

TACF CHILD ADVOCACY INITIATIVE – REPRIEVE FOR REJOICE DANIEL
Sometime in December 2017, the Foundation was alerted about the plight of a teenager who was in need of legal intervention. It is the case of Rejoice Daniel. Rejoice who does not live with her parents as a result of poverty puts up with some girls somewhere in Gwarimpa, a vast settlement in Abuja, with the responsibility of fending for herself.
Rejoice was arrested by the Police with other girls on charges of theft. The case against them was that they had conspired to steal large sums of money belonging to a woman with whom one of the girls was an apprentice. She was released on bail by the Police having been suretied by a good samaritan from the church she attends. Subsequent to her release on bail, criminal charges were preferred against the girls, including Rejoice. Her case was precarious because she had no legal representation as she could not afford one.
TACF decided to take up her case as she risked the danger of being remanded in prison custody without trial, which is a distressing feature of the criminal justice system in Nigeria. On the 5th day of December, 2017, which was her day of arraignment at the Rea Court, Dei Dei, FCT, TACF’s Counsel, Prince Amaechi Esq. was in court to provide her legal representation and ensure that justice was not only done, but was seen to be done. At the end of the proceedings, Rejoice was discharged and acquitted and saved the horror of being thrown into Kuje Prison.
There are many children in detentions and prison custodies across the nation who have no access to legal representation and whose future is in jeopardy as a result. The statistics confirm this. One of the items on TACF’s 5-point agenda is Child Advocacy. We shall continue to vociferously advocate for the rights of the child with a view to providing them with the promising future that they deserve.

The International Day of disabled persons

According to the World Bank OVC Toolkit, a vulnerable child is defined as one under the age of 18 years and currently at high risk of lacking adequate care and protection. However, even where the child has the utmost care and protection, he is still vulnerable by the simple reason of his being a child. There is however a class of children whose vulnerability is heightened as a result of physiological conditions over which they lack control – they are the children living with disability. Their condition is more apalling in the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa where policies spare little or no thought for them. It is the International Day of Disabled Persons and for children out there living with disability, The Adekunle Child Foundation remembers them and inspires hope. # SpareaThoughtfortheVulnerableChild .

The International Day of the Girl Child

The International Day of the Girl Child is usually marked on the 11th day of October every year. As part of our activities to mark the International Day of the Girl Child, The Adekunle Child Foundation (TACF) decided to hold a Public Lecture to commemorate the Day on 12th October, 2017. Theme for 2017 was Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030.
TACF worked with Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Abuja, the African Women Lawyers’ Association (Abuja Branch), Sisters, Wives and Mothers (SWiM), an NGO dedicated to women and girls’ empowerment and Inspirational Parenting Network (IPaN), a body dedicated to enlightening and empowering parents.
The women spoke to over 175 adolescent girls from primary and secondary schools in Garki, Abuja. It was an impactful event. The girls were excited. They asked questions. They were given various gifts. The eye-opener was the one-on-one sessions the girls had with the women. They opened up on the various abuses they were exposed to and they were offered solutions through counselling sessions.
The girl child is vulnerable and endangered. We must stand up for her and give her a voice.