Progress with orphans in Ilaje Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 at 8:37 am
PSH would like to thank all of you who supported our efforts to sponsor (in partnership with Hands-At-Work) 50 orphans and vulnerable children in Ilaje community during 2011. This year we hope to double that number, and hope you will continue to support us.
Many children’s lives have been greatly improved due to the work we have done. Mischeck is one of them. He is a 10 year old boy and the last born of a family of 5 children, four males and one female. All the children were living with their parents in a slum area of Lagos about 2 hours from the main city.
Mischeck in Ilaje Community
Their father died after struggling with a serious illness which lasted for over 2 years. Almost all the family properties acquired by their father during his working years as a civil servant were sold by the family to pay for his medical bills at different hospitals. After his death, tragically, his wife also fell sick and after just 3 months, she died. All the children were forced to abandon their education because there was no income to pay the school fees or for school equipment.
The older 3 boys looked for different kinds of menial jobs to do so they could earn some income and survive. These boys had no place to sleep as they could not afford to continue paying for their house rent. They resorted to squatting with some of their friends in a slum area in Lagos – they had no choice but to cope with this situation. After the death of his parents, Mischeck was staying with his only sister and both children were very vulnerable. After about a year, the 12 year old girl was raped by a man in the community who then ran away after learning that she was pregnant with his child. When Mischeck’s Auntie came to visit the 2 children and discovered the horrendous situtation they were living in, she felt very concerned for them and decided to bring Mischeck and his pregnant sister to Ilaje community to stay with her in her one room rented house.
Mischeck’s Auntie struggled to provide for the children’s basic needs due to her age, because she isn’t able to work to earn any income. She relies on the charity that people give her to feed herself, Mischeck and his sister. Mischeck would spend his days staying at home with his Auntie and sister until, a few months later, one of his Auntie’s friends told them that the Ilaje community school cares for the most vulnerable children in the community. Mischeck was taken to this school and finally adopted.
Children taking medication
Since this time, Mischeck has been benefitting from the 3 Essential Services from the Community Based Organization – Eagle Foundation. His sister also delivered a healthy baby girl but the Father of the child is still nowhere to be seen. The children’s Auntie, who is 70 years old, has continued to support these children in her own little way by providing them with shelter and protection against any other form of abuse. The older 3 boys continue to stay in another part of Lagos, far from where Mischeck and his sister stay. Mischeck has been very happy to be living in the community of Ilaje for the past 2 years and he is presently in Primary 4 at school.
For 2012, we currently have 11 children sponsored for 2012 and are hoping to get at least 40 from individuals sponsoring children. To see more about Ilaje community, click HERE.
Thanks once again for your support.
The PSH Team
Tags: Communities, Updates
