Over one thousand children of school age are currently being taken out of streets hawking by
Debuilders Advocacy Center International (DACI).
Speaking on the initiatives, the President of the international organization, Mrs. Theresa Oliha, said the Hawkers Support Scheme is an initiative to support parents with low sources of income, who have resolved to street hawking as a way of survival thereby endangering or putting at risk the precious life and future of their children, especially teens.
She said DACI’s objective is to rescue such children by educating and supporting such parents to undertake small/medium scale business that will not allow their wards to street hawk or ultimately become school dropouts.
In her three days advocacy program held at the Nigerian Air Force Conference Center, Abuja, Mrs Oliha said haven worked as a community worker and assaulted women, youth and children counselor in Toronto, Canada, she was concerned that over ten million Nigeria children are out of school.
She said, if the threat is not handled at this their early age, it will be of great danger for the country.
Oliha who is the founder of Toronto Women’s Neighborhood link, a women organization that offers economic development program to immigrant women, decided to contribute her quarter to the development of the country in ensuring that children who dropped out of schools for financial reasons are back to school, while their mothers are empowered through a business startup.
On Women in Business Initiative (WBi), she said the program is specially designed for women in small and medium scale enterprises, such women with genuine business plans or ideas but lack start-up capitals will be empowered by the organization.
” In DACI, we believe that such empowerment will reinstate a sense of responsibility amongst the benefactors and also reduce sexual crimes and promiscuity amongst the women within our sphere.
“We are also into Economic and Development Scheme for Underprivileged Youths. This initiative offers skills acquisition programs, career oriented training and self employment opportunities that will automatically reposition the youth to be self-reliant and financially independent.
“We want to reduce through this program the alarming rate of unemployment amongst the Youths, their involvement and participation in crimes and criminal tendencies, drug addictions and the high rate of moral decadence in the communities and the entire nation.
The FoodBank Lunch Initiative (FBLi) according to her is an agricultural education based program designed specifically for the Youths, the Youths are reorientated and motivated to be involved in all the aspects of agriculture as regards their interest and passion after which they will be empowered to start a farm or agro business of their choice and earn from the proceeds thereafter.
“The primary objective of this initiative is to introduce to the Youths that modern day agriculture is not a dirty business relegated to the low or average persons in the community but a world class 21st century business capable of providing financial independence and self reliance.”
Mrs Theresa Oliha is also the President and Founder of Jesus The Builder Ministry who believes that through prayers and hard work, Christians can effect change and bring solutions to any prevailing social and religious challenges in our communities and Nigeria.
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