NGO Rescues 4,645 Orphans In Nigeria

Corlins Walter

A non governmental organisation in Nigeria, the Assistance and Care for Children Orphaned and at Risk (ACCORD) has the past two years rescued about 4,645 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC).

The ACCORD Project, financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided educational scholarship, medical, nutritional and psychological support for these children.

According to the project director, Ebunoluwa Jaiyesimi, the OVC are those identified in Lagos, Osun and Oyo States.

The project, though cordinated by HOPE Word Wide Nigeria, is executed in those various states through partnership with community based organisations (CBO’s), pointing out that the project was conceived ……ut to the increasing number of this category of children, as a result of different circumstances which HIV/AIDS is one.

According to the recent statistics by the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs, the number of orphans is put at seven million, which is 10.7 per cent of the total number of children, put at 69 million.

Out of this number, 1.8 million or 26 per cent is as a result of HIV/AIDS. It is therefore estimated that by 2015, the number is likely to double if nothing drastic is done to arrest the trend.

The ACCORD Project was initiated as a strategy for rescuing children, especially those that have become orphan or vulnerable in our various communities.