2023 UN Int’l Day for Street Children: NGO wants financial institutions to relax access to funds for projects
As the world celebrate the United Nations International Day for street children on April 12, 2023, a Calabar based Non-Governmental Organization has called on financial institutions to make the process of accessing funds for projects directed at alleviating the plight of the vulnerable children in the society seamless.
The International Day for street children is marked on April 12th every year and the theme for this year is “KEEPING STREET-CONNECTED CHILDREN SAFE”. The essence is to acknowledge the strength and resilience of street children around the world. The day is aimed at providing a voice for the vulnerable children in the streets like in Calabar who are striped of their rights. The day enables human rights organization to spread awareness about the suffering of street children all over the world.
The chairman Board of Trustees (BOT) of May and Frank Akpo Youth and children Development Foundation, Architect Dr. Eric Akpo who is the Senior Special Adviser on Technical Matters to Governor Ben Ayade said financial institutions should support the effort to prevent and remove children from the streets by easing the bottle-necks associated with accessing funds to build shelter to accommodate these vulnerable folks.
Speaking in an interview with a LENS Reporter on Thursday 13th April, Architect Akpo lamented the huge number of helpless children roaming the streets of Calabar and other places in the State as destitute due to parental and societal neglect.
He said MFAF with slogan “it’s time to work for humanity” is committed to serve and build a secure future for generations to meet the needs of the hopeless youths and children in our communities.
The May and Frank Akpo Foundation (MFAF) is an NGO dedicated to charity work. It is also a non-profit fund raising group that is committed to bettering the livelihood of street children.
He revealed that the foundation has empowered 20 small scale, businesses for the less privileged children in Cross River State since it’s inception.
He disclosed as well that the Foundation has built a Nursery and Primary School at Plot E2, Lemmna Layout in Calabar to educate and quarter street children who are on full scholarship. This they say is their modest contribution to get the street children off the streets as the children you fail to help today in that pathetic condition will come back to hunt your children and society tomorrow.
The drive in establishing a school is to actualize it’s vision and mission of providing scholarships for the homeless children in our communities.
By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)
