By Christy Anyanwu
• Abdulmalik with children from Beres Salam Orphanage, Lagos, at the event
The Nima Memorial Care Foundation says it will strive its to make orphans and vulnerable children safe. Its co-founder, Mrs. Zainab Abdulmalik, stated this at the annual symposium/grand ball held recently in Lagos, with the theme: “Ensuring the safety and social welfare of children in the society.”
The symposium sought to honour Nimatallahi Fashipe, whose contributions to child welfare left lasting impact despite her untimely death at 30. With hundreds of communities and families touched by her efforts, the foundation aims to ensure that her vision for a safer and more nurturing society for children continues to inspire action.
Abdulmalik said: “Children, especially the underprivileged, contend with numerous challenges, ranging from hunger, malnutrition, kidnapping, bullying and domestic accidents, among others.
“Although the foundation was founded by Nimatallahi Fashipe, who passed on about a year ago, I and her siblings have decided to carry on her legacy.
“My late daughter was passionate about charity. She was interested in the safety and social well-being of the Nigerian child. The only way to keep her memory alive is to immortalise her and focus on empowering orphans and vulnerable children.
“Nimatallahi impacted about a hundred street children and sank boreholes in vulnerable communities in the North, where they lack good water. She visited orphanages and equipped street children with skills before her demise.
“With collaborative efforts, we would safeguard children from less privileged backgrounds. Governments play a critical role in safeguarding every child from poverty by strengthening the linkage between cash benefits and other social services.”
She urged government, humanitarian organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support this cause, noting that they have been able to fund their activities from donations and 10 per cent from late daughter’s soap production factory.
Commissioner for Finance, Kwara State, Dr. Hauwa Nuhu, said child safety was not just security alone but also education, well-being and their upbringing: “The Federal Government is concerned about the safety and security of children and has made efforts towards it.”
“Director, Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, Prof. Anthony Kila, appealed to educationists, government officials and families to be fully involved in the social welfare of children, adding that this would guarantee a better nation in the future:
“The best way to make children good is to make them happy. But what can we do when children face environments that are not only unhappy but dangerous? In unsafe situations, child welfare steps in with the goal of promoting safety and security for children across the nation.
“It is the responsibility of individuals, organisations and governments to ensure that children are protected from harm and their rights respected. This includes providing a safe environment for children to grow and develop, protecting them from physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and ensuring they have access to education, healthcare and resources to fulfil their basic needs.
“Child welfare is a continuum of services designed to ensure that children are safe and that families have the necessary support to care for their children successfully.”
Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Lagos State, Bishop Adegbite Stephen, said: “As religious leaders, we have a duty to ensure they are safe and given support. Children and young people have the same general human rights as adults and other specific rights that recognise their special needs. Children are neither the property of their parents nor are they helpless objects of charity. They are human beings and are the subject of their own rights.”