A Non-Governmental Organization under the umbrella of Smile In Making Impacts (SIMI), has expresses its determinations to continue her developmental gesture by affecting the lives of children on the street, especially victims of foul-tasting circumstances and less privileged in the society.
In a statement made available to pressmen in sokoto, the Founder of SIMI, Dahunsi Joy Oluwasimidele, says, SIMI is set to reduce the number of less privileged children on the street by engaging in productive activities and skills needed to be self-reliant by making them independent off the street, and to also give them a sense of belonging by showing love and affection. Also aid survival through the provision of basic necessities of life for the children, in order to drastically mitigate the rate of poverty, unemployment and criminal cases in the country, which is a quagmire battling the soul of the country
“Our projects connect the street with love, by tapping into the lives of these less-privileged children by giving them a huge sense of belonging as well as showing them love which makes them to be treated to a level of projecting a good life for themselves,’ Oluwasimidele noted.
Recalls executive summary on UNICEF (2017), Nigeria has the largest number of children out-of-school in the world. However, all over Nigeria, it is a common sight to find children along the streets at all times of the day. These children sometimes engage in nefarious activities and hardly return home. The streets automatically become an abode for such children.
“It is so disheartening and pathetic to see these children; many with bright future roaming the streets whereas they can be fixed up to have a better live.
“The alarming rate of poverty in our society today, in addition to the undesirable circumstances that surrounds many individuals, particularly children on the street exposes them to a lot of health hazards, and making some of them fall victims of rape, kidnap and diverse forms of molestation, gave birth to the pet project – SIMI.
“SIMI is on a mission to support and change the lives of these less privileged children on the street, giving them a better future, and most importantly, ensuring that these children are not denied the basic necessities of life that will aid their survival as well as provide them the opportunities to harness their potentials or skills to the fullest.
The NGO has spread its philanthropism across communities, SIMI has impacted lives of over 87 people on streets in Sokoto state, where materials ranging from foods, pairs of slippers, clothes to replace the “rags” were distributed. Other beneficiaries of the street love projects include Adult men and women.