A Non-Governmental Organisation, Child Life Line, has reiterated its commitment towards raising vulnerable children to become better citizens and successful in their different endeavours.
CLL is a social organisation and home to children who have emotional and psychological issues.
Speaking at the New Year party and Award Giving Day, held at Ibeshe, Ikorodu area of Lagos, the President, CLL, Mrs. Essie Gomes, said the organisation would continue to help vulnerable children to achieve their dreams by providing them formal education and vocational training in order to be successful.
The CLL president, while noting that fund raising was the organisation’s biggest challenge, expressed satisfaction and fulfilment in the achievements recorded since inception of the home in 1994, saying that many of the children had not disappointed the organisation.
She said, “We are determined to build on past achievements and, indeed, to exceed them.
“A new year brings new challenges but also new opportunities. Fund-raising continues to be the biggest challenge, but when we see results like Godwill, Christian Anene, Job David and many of our other alumni who have made us proud, we are more motivated than ever to keep going and to find more creative ways to raise money so that we can continue to help vulnerable children to go to school to live productively and successfully.”
Daughter of the founder, Mrs. Sally Udoma, said, “We don’t get sponsorship from the government. We don’t have any guaranteed means of support; everything we do is from donations and sponsorship.
“But it is a constant battle to approach organisations, corporate bodies, religious body to ask for grants and donations to keep Life Line going.”
In her speech, the programme manager, Mrs. Yemi Aileru, while noting some of the achievements recorded last year, said at the beginning of 2017, the organisation had 19 children at the Ibeshe home but the number had increased to 30.
“We successfully reunited 58 children with their families between January and December, 2017 from Gbagada and Ibeshe homes,” she said.
An alumnus of the home, Job David Ayuba, commended the organisation for its impact on his life.
“I came to Child Life Line in 1996 when I was eight. I was picked from the street. I spent 10 years here. The organisation touched my life and shaped me to who I am today,” he said.
Highlights of the event included presentations by the children of dramas, dance, poem recitation among others.
Some of the children, who distinguished themselves in various areas in 2017, were
given prizes.
They were recognised in the following areas: Best in academics, vocation, best behaved, most improved in academics, most hardworking and the neatest.
