By Zika Bobby and Brown Chimezie
RESPITE is underway for at least 300 orphans and vulnerable children in Nigeria as the Oladiran Olusegun Adebutu (OOA) Foundation has initiated phased intervention programmes aimed at supporting them with access to quality education, primary healthcare, nutrition as well as social and economic welfare.
The OOA Foundation is a non-profit and non-political organisation based in South West, Nigeria, whose official launch is scheduled for October 22, 2016 in Ogun State.
The foundation’s Chairman, Oladiran Olusegun Adebutu said the initiative is aimed at giving orphans and vulnerable children a level playing field in life. “Society is often caught up in the cycle of trying to make ends meet and tend to forget the vulnerable in the process. We have decided to step in to make a difference because we believe every child deserves a sense of belonging and a fighting chance to succeed in life despite any initial setback,” he said.
Ms. Kemi Sokenu-Morris, Chief Executive Officer, OOA, at a briefing yesterday said that the “300 orphans and vulnerable children have been carefully selected from six local government areas in the state and will benefit from the pilot project tagged: ‘Leave no child behind’ programme, which started in June, to run till December, this year. The two-year pilot intervention programme will cover three selected senatorial districts in Ogun State.”
She said six select local government areas namely Odogbolu, Ikenne, Imeko, Yewa South, Abeokuta South and Abeokuta North will benefit from the programme, while plans are underway to extend the intervention to other geographical zones of the country.