Date: 2016-01-02

It was precisely 12:25pm on Monday and the venue was Hope Orphanage Home, an offshoot of Word Assembly Church in Idofian, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Staff of News and Current Affairs Department of Harmony FM station, a division of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) gathered in their size-able numbers to fraternise with vulnerable children under the care of the orphanage home.

The event was not only to share in the moment of joy and grieve of the innocent children, but put smile on their hitherto dejected faces triggered by their fate.

Gifts worth thousands of naira were given to the centre to cater for the needs of the hapless children courtesy of the News and Current Affairs Unit of the Radio station.

Many children at the centre were either abandoned by the roadsides or left to face hurdles of life at their tender and innocent age. The incessant cases of abandoned children has become a source of worry to many Nigerians.

In Ilorin, Kwara State capital, there were incidences of abandoned children. Early this year, an infant was dumped by the roadside on Adelodun Street, GRA by an unknown woman.

The baby was rescued by security agents and handed over to the Social Welfare in the state for care.

Though the presence of pen fraternity of Harmony FM could be seen as a sigh of relief for the children who gazed at the guests that partook in the event intermittently.

Just like the name of the vulnerable home suggests, Hope Orphanage Home, it never stopped basking in hope renewal and the unexpected coming and presentation of valuable gifts to the home by the pen pushers was a great joy as attested to by the Director of the orphanage centre, Dr (Mrs) Christie Omoleyin.

The event, which prominently featured carrier talk for the vulnerables, also saw donors dancing with them to demonstrate love and happiness for them.

In his remark, General Manager, Harmony FM station, Alhaji AbdulMualiy Olanrewaju Adegboyega, admonished the orphans not to see their current predicament as permanent situation.

Represented by Head of Account and Finance Department of the station, Mr Ayo Amos, the GM explained that the situation the innocent children unwillingly found themselves would not deprive them of their future.

He stated that the future was bright for them and strive in life to turn what seems to be illusion to reality.

The Harmony FM boss also enjoined the children to be attentive to every instruction dished out to them in the course of their upbringing.

Adegboyega, who praised the News and Current Affairs unit of the station for the initiative, said the presentation of gifts to the orphanage home was an indication that the unit was not religious biased.

He promised that the station would continue to extend hand of fellowship to the less privileged and urged affluence in the society to assist the needy.

Also speaking, Head of Department of News and Current Affairs, Mrs Rasheedat Ilyas, said the event was to give the vulnerable children sense of belonging and great joy in the festive period.

She said, "We hope to put smiles on the faces of the children with this event. We do hope that what we present to the Orphanage here today will not be judged by quantity but by the spirit behind the celebration and presentation, which is love.

"I therefore want to seize this opportunity to appeal to well to do individuals and other organisations to emulate Harmony FM in extending a hand of kindness to the less privileged in the society. Almighty God will surely reward abundantly anyone that remembers the needy", she declared.

In her welcome address, Director of Hope Orphanage, Dr (Mrs) Christie Omoleyin, said the centre was a charity unit of Word Assembly set up to address the plights of orphans, abandoned children and other vulnerables in the society.

Examining the callousness of some parents, the Director stated that some of the children in the centre's care were discovered in either cellophane bags or trashcans.

Mrs Omoleyin, who spoke through her daughter, Miss Grace Omoleyin, disclosed that a total of 75 children have been rescued by the centre since it began operation.

She noted that the vulnerable children were rescued with the primary objective of providing future for them and renew their hope.

She lamented that some children came malnourished and some health challenges while the centre had to cater for their hospital bills in spite of financial crisis.

The Director stated that the orphanage home is presently congested and needed fund to complete some buildings within its premises to provide accommodation for the multitudes.

She called on well meaning Nigerians to assist in the provision of building materials and funds to offset staff salaries and electricity bills.

Some of the gifts donated include cartons of indomie noodles, tubers of yam, a bag of semolina, stationery, biscuits, cheese balls and toiletries.