L:R: President AWLA Amanda Demechi Asagba, President TPS Adagunduro Elias Abayomi, ED Iyaniwura Foundation
A Non-governmental organisation The Press Society has joined Child Protection Network (CPN), other civil society organisations protecting and promoting women and children’s human rights to celebrate children’s day most especially survivors of sexual and gender based violence and children who had been abandoned as a result of lack of access to socio-economic resources.
Newsconnect reports that the President of TPS, Adagunduro Elias Abayomi, at a program organised by CPN for children on May 27, 2024 through the support of local and international partners at Bimbo Odukoya Foundation said celebrating children on children’s day is not complete if CSOs don’t bring conversations that would surmount challenges faced by children that are survivors of SGBV on the front burner.
Elias said the challenges being faced by children who are confident to report cases of sexual and gender based violence to authorities is a thing of concern to him and his organisation.
In his words, he said;
“Yes civil society organisation is working tirelessly to intensify awareness that children should speak up and speak out, that they should name and shame perpetrators of SGBV.
“My concern is that some parents who are to protect their children are the perpetrators of immoralities. A dilemma !
“If a bread winner for instance a father defiles his own daughter, and he is jailed, who pays the school fees of the child? Who feeds that child ? Who takes care of the necessaries when the father is jailed ? Who helps that child to manage the trauma and stigmatisation that comes with ?
“On this day, TPS is celebrating these children, they are the real MVP’s and ‘generals’ in their own way and on this day our heart goes out to them. We celebrate their courage, and valour to speak against SGBV.
“We are aware that in Lagos State, there is a trust fund that takes care of the immediate needs of a survivor, perhaps the child needs to move to another school or relocate to another environment. There is a fund for it.
“Most times, a survivor needs to access more support not just immediate needs. Financial and psychosocial support.
“The Press Society is using this day to appeal to Government to earmark funds to take care of not just the immediate needs of a survivor but all the needs until he or she stabilises.
“Are we not raising monsters in the society if we live them out there to fend for themselves?
“Any child you see on the street is your child. If you think it’s only your child you want to take care of, trust me you are in for big trouble in this country” Elias said .