As part of activities to mark this year’s festivities that come with the yuletide season, some non-governmental organizations in Rivers State have extended their service to humanity to children in a program tagged “First Humanitarian Children Reach Out”. The event which was organized by Harmony Kiddies Charity Foundation in collaboration with Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) and held at the main auditorium of the Holy Cross International School Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Thursday, December 19, 2019 had pupils and teenagers between the ages of 7years and 15years in attendance. The participating schools include Life Abundant Group of Schools, Diobu, Tonel International School, Diobu and the host school, Holy Cross International School, Iwofe road, Port Harcourt as well as other parents and teachers that accompany their wards to the program. Activities at the event include career talk, vision talk, quiz, play exercises and human rights education and sensitization among others.

In her welcome address, the Executive Director of Harmony Kiddies Charity Foundation, Cynthia C. Obiagwu thanked the schools, parents, children as well as Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre for partnering with the Foundation to organize the event. Miss Cynthia said she was motivated to set up the foundation and organize the event due to her love for children and determination to address the issues affecting them in society. Cynthia also said “The program is called First Humanitarian Children Reach Out because, this is the first time that the dream of organization an event like this to give back to society through the children is being actualized. As a program that we have started through personal efforts, believe that with the support of other members of society, we will be able to make the next edition in 2020 bigger and better than this”. Adding that, the children are precious gifts from God and that parents should take proper care of their children with the best upbringing possible so that they would grow up in the fear of God and acceptable norms of society. Miss Cynthia also called on the government to provide quality education as well as conducive learning environment and protection for children who are among the vulnerable in society.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of the collaborating organization, Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), Mr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface said they decided to organize the event especially this Yuletide period to celebrate with the children, show them love and use the opportunity to educate and sensitize the children and teenagers about children and human rights in society.  He said the idea is to catch the children youth and instill the culture of human rights in them so that they would grow up with that consciousness about their rights and the need to respect the rights of others for the achievement of a society where human rights are respected. His words “We decided to join forces with this Foundation to organize this program so that we can use the opportunity to sensitize the young children and education them about human rights. It is important that they learn about human rights at a tender age so that they can grow up with such consciousness and respect the rights of others also. Catching these children young with human rights education would improve human rights awareness in the society and bring about peace in their interaction”.  The high point of the event was the cutting of a Humanitarian cake with the children, teachers and parents, presentation of gifts and take away packs which include dictionaries, textbooks, exercise books, biros, etc.

Sharing her experience at the end of the program, Miss Amakiri Deborah said she is happy to be invited to be part of this reach out program, thanked the organizers and called for them to keep organizing such event for children more than once a year. She also said she had learnt some new things like what children rights are as taught by Advocacy Centre. Her words “I have learnt new things from this program today. It was very interesting especially the training in children rights by Advocacy Centre, Mr. Fyneface. I thank them for organizing this children reach out program and I want them to do it more than one time in a year so that many of us and other children can all benefit from it”.