Rebecca Ejifoma
In the spirit of this year’s Children’s Day, a real estate development company, Landmark Corporate Realty Ltd, treated children at the Sought After Children Orphanage in Ajah to an unforgettable time with gift items to seal the day.
Among the items received are school bags, a bag of beans, two gallons of 25 litres of vegetable oil, insecticide treated nets, packs of liquid and powdered milk, six standing fans, two solar panels, three cans of custard, a carton of ribena, packs of sugar, and a pack of spaghetti.
Others are eight cartons of noodles, a carton of bread, three packs of building blocks, one pack of tissue rolls, toys, scrabble, story books, puzzle games, brain chess, writing materials, a pack of insecticide spray and packs of biscuits.
The Managing Director of Landmark Corporate Realty, Dr. Harrison Agboifoh (FCA), described Children’s Day as very significant in the life of a child as well as their parents.
“The day reminds us about our childhood and also about our duties towards you all,” he told the children. “You are like tender buds, who in whichever way can be molded.
“This implies that you children are so innocent that any wrong kind of schooling can adversely affect your personality later in life,” he expressed.
Agboifoh, represented by the Human Resources Manager of Landmark, Stella Ademola-Ojo, said this is the right age when every child needs appropriate education.
He emphasised the need for children to be taught good things in life while also encouraging them to learn from their mistakes. “Your mistakes are also your best teachers in life. Mistakes teach you to identify your weaknesses and overcome them. Children are important all over the world.”
The MD further admonished the about 30 children present to remember that childhood is the best phase of life. “After a certain point in time, when you all grow up, you would have to take care of everybody which will make you responsible.
“This phase also prepares you to be motivated and develop your ambitions which in turn would help you attain a successful career in life.”
While inspiring the children further to be their best, Agboifoh listed people who were raised in similar circumstances. He highlighted Jamie Foxx (successful actor), Steve Jobs (founder of Apple), and Eleanor Roosevelt (former American first lady) among others.
“Be rest assured God is with you on this journey. He will be with you till you transition into responsible adults. Go ahead and succeed. The sky is your starting point,” he blessed them.
In her reaction, the President and Founder of Sought After Children Orphanage, Mrs. Carol Oyaide, said Children’s Day all over the world is a time to show love to the children.
While commending the firm for the donations, she enthused that this is a time to make children know that they belong and are important in the society.
“They are special, relevant and unique to the society. Children are the future of tomorrow. Without them we don’t have a future,” Oyaide said excitedly.
To further accommodate more children and helpless women roaming the streets, the founder called on well-meaning Nigerians on their urgent need for partnership.
“We have a rehabilitation xentre for women that are abused, hurting, raped among other,” she outlined. “So while we care for the children, we also have to look at where they are coming from.
“We really want the society at large to partner with us to have a four-bedroom capacity that can take at least 40 to 50 women so that we can curb and reduce the issue of abandoned children in the society,” she pleaded.
Annually, Children’s Day is marked on May 27 in Nigeria while it is observed in May in other countries and on November 20th in many other nations across the world. This year, it is on the theme, “A Better Future for Every Child”. Hence, Landmark gave the children at the Sought After Orphanage a lifetime bash.
There was music, dance competitions, prizes, merriment and drinks, and lots of fun. The children expressed themselves with screams of delight and togetherness. It was, indeed, an unfading excitement for them.
