Sometimes, one wonders if the age-long slogan “train a man, you train a personality but train a woman, you train a nation” is true as well as being accepted.
To many families, the girl child is a second class citizen whose efforts  should be channelled towards the welfare, education and comfort of her male siblings in the family. Worst still, her  opinion does not matter when the decisions have been taken by her parents.
Some girls are subjected to preasures of making money for their brothers education that push them into various anti-social vices, ranging from drugs, unwanted pregnancies, prostitution and armed robbery some are so frustrated in their homes that they took to the streets to relieve themselves from such preasures, while peer group pressures finish the rest of the story.
These situations informed the passion of lady Doris Onyeneke, an Estate Surveyor,  to seek a way of  helping a frustrated girl child on the street. To Lady Onyeneke, all hope is not lot for the girl, though the society has written her off for taking to crime and the related urgly behaviours that de-ropes a girl / woman.
Lady Onyeneke’s dreams and target are how to ensure that something better comes out of that girl who has become homeless and useless by the ratings and judgement of the family, friends and society at large.
She said that her passion led her to float a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) called “Mother of Good Counsel Initiative (MOGCI) which enables her to reach out frustrated girls and counsel them on the need for change.
“My family, friends and society have concluded on me that nothing good will ever come out of me, so there is no need to worry my life, anything I see becomes my portion”, she said is always the response of the girls when contacted.
To her, tears always mark the end of discussion but to God be the glory according to her, that efforts put in to counsel these girls restore  hope. Some girls have been taken back to schools and some have been enrolled in skill acquisition for better future according to her.
“The society needs these girls who are mothers of tomorrow. We build capacity, inspire them to build confidence in themselves as well as raise their self esteem,” she said.
To  Lady Onyeneke, the girl child is very creative if given a sense of  belonging in the home but the traditional belief  system  in Africa and Nigeria in particular has become a problem which the NGO is struggling to solve, as “our culture believes that women are not supposed to be heard. My only problem is finance”.
She said the challenges are enormous which resulted to the need to establish a “Matter Day Girls Centre”, that will serve as homes for those street girls who are homeless.
Onyeneke’s views on the centre is to bring about total repackaging of the girls mentality, physically and an honourable future. She said, “I have encountered cases that would have been better solved with the girls accommodated for concentrated lessons. I know the centre if achieved will produce girls of sound minds.”
At the formal inauguration of MOGCI NGO in Port Harcourt which started six years ago, Dr Jennifer Spiff, co-ordinator of Women Initiative for Transparency and Social Justice (WITSOJ) referred to the centre as a welcomed development that will help the less privileged girls.
“This is a laudable porgramme that will stop the wasting of girls on the streets of our state. The organisation may not do it all but will definitely contribute its quota to the  society, she said.
“When the street girls are brought under one umbrella, their capacity are built for better life. I see what the initiative is doing as a boost to what government is doing to achieve a better future.
“The girl child has a role to play in bringing peace to the society because most of the street girls are friends to the rough boys that disturb the environment. How I wish other NGOs will borrow a leaf from them and plan towards helping the girls and even the boys”.
To Mrs Susan Bassey Duke, the leader of Gender Development Action, the path chosen by the NGO remains a challenging one and can succeed if the leaders persevere not minding the difficulties they will meet on the way.
Duke said the society knows the value of women and understand that if given equal opportunity, the girls would always do better than their male counterparts. It is very true”, if you want something said, ask a man but if you want something done, ask a woman”.
The women  leaders who has worked in the Niger Delta for 10 years now, said she would partner with the noble initiative geared towards restoration and peace in our environment.
A counselor in the NGO, Mrs Doris Chinwo said the girls are always tempted by their desire to make money and be like others, which most times throw them into trouble.
This quest she aid exposes them to danger so they need guidance to enable them come back to their senses. “A counselor would also make the girls understand the consequences of what they are doing to themselves.
“The society is not too friendly that is why you will see a father or grandfather using money to spoil teenagers in the name of suger daddes. What about the men that rape even those that try to keep their virginity and those who are even children.
“Mother of Good Counsel build self worth in the victims of circumstance and the girls centre would go a long way in helping the organization to achieve the set goals and objective, though the project needs a lot of fund to execute”.
If the truth should be told, more need to be done by individuals communities politicians, churches and the government at large, to give the girl child a sense of belonging which will inturn relieve them of the many pressures experienced at home and society caused by the customs and traditions of Nigeria which has not favoured the girl child compared to her male counterpart.

Lilian Peters