By Moses Gbande
Stakeholders at the official launching and media unveil ceremony of the “Promise Faith Programme” have called on Nigerian citizens to support the program to strive, even as they said the programme would reduce crime and other vices among the younger generation.
These were views canvassed for, by the authorities of the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Plateau State and the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board, PSUBEB , as well as the Jos correctional centre, among others.
In their separate remarks, the representatives of National Ministry Adviser and a NIPSS staff, Dr. Jacob Tsado, that of PSUBEB, Mrs Helen Iliya, and that of the Jos Correctional Centre, Gyang Bature, (DCC) as well as the representative of ministry of Education, Mrs Suknan Gloria, all louded the initiative, and encourage all to support the programme to enable the actualisation of its set goals.
Earlier in his address, the chairmen, plateau state chapter of the ‘Promise Path’, Engr. P. Y. Tongman disclosed that the programme which is a brain child of prison fellowship Nigeria, is birthed to mentoring and psychological support programme for six hundred vulnerable and at risk children.
“The flag-off of the Promise Path Mentoring and Psychosocial Support Educational Programme. This is an iitiative of Prison Fellowship International partnership with Prison Fellowsh Nigerta {PFN). It is designed for children who ar vulnerable and at risk.
“About 258 million children and youth world-wide are out of school according to UNESCO institute of Statistics (UIS) data for the year 2018.
“Nigeria is reported to have the highest number of out of school children in sub-Saharan with more than 10 millon children of schooling age out of school, These alarming statistics is time bomb unless urgent steps are taken to engage these army of indigent children,
“Our youth campaign programmes which are our catch them young crime prevention init. align perfectly with the Promise Path Programme and is our contribution at reduc nj faumber of out-of school children, This is in line with the Sustainable Development Goal which is to ensure inciusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunites for all.
This media unveil for the Promise Path programme is a historic milestone in our effort of National Ministry to meaningfully contribute to developing the potentials of children, youth, teenagers through education, guidance and counseling given the scourge of out of out of school children.
“The Promise Path Programme was conceived when Prison Fellowship International along survey of PFl National Ministries conducted comprehensive research in more than 30 cauntries representing every continent. The analysis revealed that vulnerable and at risk children from development contexts share five major risks to their well being:
1 Deprived of necessities (basic needs and rights / opportunities (education, health etc }
2 Danger of victization, exploitation, and depersonahzation (stigma, shame, low self esteem).
( 3) Detertoration into poverty and associated dangers
4 Distanced from vital relationship w’th their absentee parents
5 Dissension toward anti social behaviour as a combined result of trauma and the above factors.
“This in 2013, birthed the launching of Children of Prisoners Program, a comprehensive community and family based care programme designed to address the needs of this vulnerable population through the programme PFI sought to ensure that vulnerable and at risk children receive four essential supports education, safety health, and social and emotional resilience, all within the care of the family units. The programme served nearly 10,000 children in ten countries Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, india, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Togo, Zambia and Zmbabwe. By 2019, it became apparent that the growing number of the Children from this Prisoners Programme across the global network of 116 National Ministries was unrealistic because of its high cost and high complexity. This meant many children were missing out of support programme.
Promise Path is the new programme designed to reach out to vulnerable and at risk children especially those whose parents are incarcerated. The programme is based on Prison Fellowship Nigeria long standing Angel Tree Christmas Programme with added round components of
education and community based mentoring”
He added that, beneficiaries of the Promise Path programme arr be between the ages of 4-18 years in pubic primary or secondary school in Nigerla whose parent are in. This includes either sentenced or pre-trial detention in correctiopal/custodial facilities, as well as house arest, whereby house arrest prevents the parent from employment
” In addition, the child is willing and able to participate in all Promise Path actiities. The guardian approves and commits to supportung the child’s participation in Promise Path progcamme. The child must have a place of residence and has not graduated from secondary school
“The Promise Path children educational program will have wide-ranging impact in the lives of children and their parents. It will help to break the cycle of ignorance poverty and crime within the family and society at large”.
He maintained that at the pilot phase of the programme ten 10} states namely Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo Ekin, Kwara, Benue Plateau, Nasatawa and Niger will provide opportunities for a total number of 600 children to be enrolled with an opportunity to scale up in the 2022 2023 academic year.
We therefore use this media unveil to extend invitation to the public mdividuals and corporate organizations concerned with at risk and vulnerable children to lend a hand of support as we.seek to reduce the number of out of school children which will also lead o the reduction in the propensity to criminal activities”.
Nasarawa Reporters 