Akwa Ibom: Stakeholders raise concern over increase in number of street children

Stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State have expressed concern over the rising incidence of vulnerable children on the streets and called for alternative family based care and support.

Speaking during a conference organised by Street Mentors Network in partnership with Theolight Global Foundation, held in Uyo on Saturday, the stakeholders insisted that communities have a greater role in addressing the challenges faced by these vulnerable children in the state. The conference was themed, ‘Mobilizing Families for Alternative Care of Vulnerable Children’.

In her address titled, ‘Every Child Deserves A Safe Family: The Law, Our Responsibility and the Way Forward’, the keynote speaker, Justice Theresa Obot, harped on the need for innovative solutions to the challenge through safe and healthy environments.

Justice Obot, who is currently serving as a family court judge at Etinan Division, said every child deserves not just care and protection, but the chance to grow in a safe, loving and supportive family. She traced the root cause of child abuse to issues of broken homes, poverty and poor parenting.

Speaking on a number of such cases she has handled, the judge said, “Sometimes, children are better off at alternative homes than in their natural habitats, largely due to the rising cases of child abuse, torture and in some cases leading to fatality.”

She suggested effective strategies to enhance the structure of alternative care givers and strengthen families, while advocating for specialised family courts to handle cases of child abuse and speedy prosecution of offenders.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Executive Director of Street Mentors Network, Anita Michael, said the goal of the conference was to create a collaborative framework for caregivers to share their experiences and learn from one another, with the view to ensuring that every child in the community receives deserving protection, care and support.

According to her, the conference was meant to identify barriers to effective care, while exploring community-driven initiatives that can foster a more supportive environment for vulnerable children in the state.

Michael explained that the Street Mentors have since 2021 catered for scores of vulnerable children who were taken off the street, with most of them offered scholarship through the support of their partners.

On her part, the Executive Director of Theolight Global Foundation, Helen Ubit, said her organisation had over the years been working with government and other partners to implement programmes that promote positive development within families and the community.

Ubit said youths who are isolated from their families most times end up making wrong choices without guidance and accountability. She expressed optimism that participants at the conference will come up with ideas on how to mitigate the impact of poor parenting and the challenges of social development.

Chief Magistrate Helen Umanah, Akwa Ibom Chairperson, International Federation of Female Lawyers, FIDA, and a representative from Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Margaret Effiong, in their separate remarks, commended the organisers of the conference, while promising both legal and moral support to enable them provide alternative care to vulnerable children in the state.