Social and Environmental Reform Initiative (SERI), a Non-Governmental Organization, on the 6th of October 2018 begun the reintegration of street children back to their respective families as well as providing financial assistance to their parents/guardians in Calabar Municipal, Cross River State, Nigeria.
Speaking at the re-integration ceremony which held at Akim Community Town Hall, Calabar, the Executive/Programme Director, Mrs. Josephine Queen Okoh stated that part of her Organization's mission is to reintegrate street children back to their families, provide such households with minimal funds to start up a business or add to existing one(s), so as to enable them provide for the basic needs of their children for sustainability purposes.
Mrs. Okoh said ten (10) children were involved in the first phase of the re-integration programme, where children were supported to go back to school or acquire skills (hair dressing, fashion designing etc.) based on choice in order to give them a new lease of life, means of livelihood and prepare them for the future.
The Executive-Director, who told newsmen that her Organization's activities were made possible with funding from the MARTIN JOHANNESSON AND FRIENDS FOUNDATION, and Leap Ink & Piercing in Norway, called on well-meaning Nigerians, Private organizations and Government Agencies to aid SERI with funding in order to sustain its laudable programmes and projects.
She further assured that her Organization will continue to partner with the Ministry of Sustainable Development & Social Welfare and other relevant Government Agencies in ensuring that street children are reintegrated back to their families.
Also speaking, the representatives of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Social Welfare, Mr. Francis Egette and Mrs. Offiong Oku, lauded the efforts of SERI and promised to offer necessary support to the organization, while also informing the parents of the street children present at the occasion, of the Child Right Law in the state.
A representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr. Cecil S. Oba who was also present at the occasion, commended SERI for the great job of reintegrating the kids back to their families and giving them a sense of belonging and a vista of hope to life.
Mr. Oba, who decried the alarming increase of street children within the Calabar metropolis, and spoke on the organization's readiness to partner with humanitarian bodies such as SERI.
The event also featured a guidance and counseling session, ranging from good parenting and child upbringing by Executive Director of Enabled To Enable Foundation (Miss Eno Okpo) and a promise by representative of CRSACA, Mr. Ifere Obetan to support SERI with HIV testing of children being reintegrated any time they are called upon.
High points of the ceremony was handing over of cash to parents/guardians of reintegrated children to start or support existing businesses.
This is a very welcome development.
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