As part of its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, the United Nations Positive Livelihood and Awards Centre (UN-POLAC Foundation), in Lagos, donated food items to correctional centres for boys and girls.
The UN-POLAC Coordinator, Lagos State Chapter, Dr Nzeribe Okegbue, said that the aim of the visit was to celebrate the yuletide with the children.
“UN-POLAC is an international non-governmental organisation under the leadership of our Director-General, Prof. Halo Eton and Funmilayo Adesanya, that advocates for peace, security and better living.
“We are here today to celebrate the season with this children and applaud the good work of the men and women that are taking care of these young ones.
“We believe that for a better society, these children needs to be reformed because for us to have a peaceful society, they need to be reformed to become good citizens of Nigeria.
“We have come to identify with them and to show these kids that they are loved and we pray that God will keep them alive to be better citizens,” he said.
While giving advice to the kids and parents, he said that the reformation of kids is everyone’s responsibility, adding that correcting the kids start from the home.
“We don’t need to wait for the kids to depreciate in value before they are corrected.
“If we all get it right from the family level, it will reduce the pressure and challenges associated to bringing these kids to correctional home.
“I encourage all parents and guardians to guide their kids properly and do their best at nurturing them so that they won’t engage in drugs and illegal activities that will make them end up in correctional homes,” he said.
The management of the two correctional centres (girls and boys) at Idi-Araba as well as Oregun Ikeja Lagos state appreciated the foundation for the gifts.
“This place is a reformation centre and there are skills acquisition programmes whereby we empower the children so that by the time they go back to the society, they will have something to do.
“Most of them come in through the ministry or courts and there is another department that monitors them to know when to leave.
“Before they leave, they spend between six to nine months with us so that they would have gone through therapy before they can go out,” they said.