By Funmilayo Adeyemi

The President of Halal Children’s Home, Ramat Abubakar, has urged Nigerians to open their homes to orphaned and vulnerable children through fostering, to give them family care and a better future.

Abubakar made the call on Saturday in Abuja, during the organisation’s Annual Awareness Walk to mark World Adoption Day.

She said the walk was organised to sensitise the public to the plight of children who were orphaned, vulnerable or growing up without family care.

According to her, while many Nigerians express compassion for vulnerable children, there is a need to translate such concern into concrete action by welcoming them into their homes.

“It’s important that the community rallies around them to put them into their homes, because we always have compassion for orphans or vulnerable children, but we do not take the commitment to take them into our home and take care of them.

“So, we’re trying to bring awareness and ask the general public to open their hearts, and their homes for these children.”

Abubakar noted that the government alone could not cater for the needs of all vulnerable children, given the country’s large population.

She therefore called on individuals and communities to complement government efforts by taking responsibility for the welfare of such children.

Also speaking, the guest speaker, Mr Shuaib Mustapha, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said addressing the plight of vulnerable children required stronger parental responsibility and government intervention.

Mustapha said many children were exposed to neglect because of inadequate parental care, while others had become orphaned as a result of conflicts and crises.

He described children as a trust from God, urging parents to take their responsibilities seriously and religious leaders to intensify sensitisation on proper child upbringing.

“The problem we are having in this country is that we have so many children that are vulnerable as a result of a lack of parental care.

“Some are even just born and they don’t even know their parents. Some have been orphaned by virtue of wars and the crises in the country.

“So, the Halal children home is a group of women who have gathered themselves to contribute towards improving the society, in terms of providing for the children, the needy, and the orphans.

The SAN also called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to strengthen efforts to block drug supply routes and ensure appropriate punishment for offenders.

He expressed concern over drug abuse among young people, particularly children aged 15 and 20, saying the problem required urgent attention from families and government.

He urged the children to embrace healthy lifestyles, physical exercise and sound moral values, noting that these would contribute to their physical and mental well-being.

On fostering, he urged the government to expand support for orphaned children, particularly those affected by conflicts in parts of Northern Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Welfare Officer of the home, Khadijah Fashina, said the organisation currently operated in Abuja, Lagos and Kaduna, with plans to extend its activities to three other geopolitical zones within five years.

She said the home had about 60 children in Abuja, 40 in Lagos and 30 in Kaduna.

Fashina added that children from different schools participated in the awareness walk to support the initiative.

One of the children of the home, Muhammad Abdullahi, said he joined the home in 2018 while entering Junior Secondary School and was now in his final year at the University of Abuja.

Abdullahi, who is studying Political Science and International Relations, expressed gratitude to the home, donors and individuals who had supported his education and welfare.

He said their contributions had helped him overcome challenges and pursue his academic ambitions.

Another member, Bilkisu Abdusalam, also expressed appreciation for the care and support she had received since joining the home in secondary school.(NAN)

Edited by Deborah Coker