SOS empowers youths, lauds donors

The SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria has perfected new initiatives to ensure that more orphaned and abandoned kids develop into self-supporting and contributing members of society.

The group provides family-based care for the needy children in several states across the country.

At the maiden Donor Appreciation Day held by the orphanage in Ikeja at the weekend, the National Director, Eghosa Erhumwunse listed one of the initiatives as youth empowerment.

“According to the National Bureau of Statistics in its 2012 national youth survey report, youths of working age (15-35) are nearly 70million in a population of 166 million Nigerians; of these youths, 54 per cent are unemployed. Unemployment is a threat for economy and society. It contributes to inequality, causes social tension and leads to social exclusion. Youth employment and decent work are backbone of development,” he said.

Eghosa who highlighted the various programmes of the group that have benefitted thousands of Nigerian youths disclosed that N1.5billion had been budgeted for the group’s operations in 2017.