By Correspondent in Abuja.
The Chadash Empowerment Foundation, an Abuja-based NGO, on Sunday held a one-kilometre advocacy walk to raise awareness and support for orphaned and vulnerable children, as part of activities marking World Orphans Day.
Speaking during the event in Abuja, the foundation’s founder, Mrs. Temitope Adeola,represented by Programme Coordinator, Akinade Ranti,said the initiative was designed to promote understanding, inclusion, and opportunity for orphaned children.
World Orphans Day is commemorated globally every November 13, with this year’s theme tagged “Spread Hope.”
According to Adeola, the theme aligns with the foundation’s mission and serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility to uplift children who have lost the security of family.
“Orphans deserve not pity, but opportunity, inclusion, and hope.
“Hope is more than a word,it is a lifeline. It transforms a child’s tears into courage, their fears into confidence, and their uncertainty into possibility,”she said.
Adeola noted that over the past four years, the foundation has trained at least 200 young orphans between the ages of 10 and 20 in vocational skills such as tailoring, hairdressing, shoemaking, barbing, and beadwork through the Youth Awake Vocational Empowerment programme.
“After each training cycle, we empower the children with startup equipment like sewing machines, hair dryers, shoemaking tools, and other essentials to help them build sustainable livelihoods,” she added.
She also revealed that two children from separate orphanages have benefitted from the foundation’s scholarship programme. Additionally, the foundation gifted each participating orphanage with food supplies—rice, sugar, vegetable oil, and toiletries—and a cash donation of ₦100,000 to support their daily operations.
Our Correspondent report that the advocacy walk featured children from various orphanages, carrying placards with messages such as “Beacon of Hope,” “Show Some Love,” “We are God’s Heritage,” and “Make the World a Better Place.”
The day also included fun activities like games, music, and dance to give the children an uplifting and memorable experience.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
