The Global Well-Being Index which was categorized into five elements showcased purpose, social, financial, community, and physical. Reports show that one in six adults worldwide is considered thriving or strong and consistent in at least three of the five elements of well-being, as measured by the inaugural Gallup-Heathway Global Well-Being Index in 2013. The percentage of the elements here in Nigeria is considered low and it is in the light of this POWEF came into the humanitarian scene to encourage and promote quality life in the society.

In October 2010, Population Welfare and Empowerment Foundation (POWEF) envisioned a society where everyone, especially the less privileged would be able to enjoy basic health, economic, social and environmental well-being. Its mission which is to promote quality life for women, children, young people and other vulnerable populations through skills development, advocacy engagements, and direct support services are still kicking even to date.

Mr. Joseph Obadiora believes that POWEF in its little way can make impacts in the society and bring about positive transformation and against the abrasive act of some individuals towards the less privileged in the society, Mr. Obadiora stated that this act propelled the foundation to stretch hands of assistance and comfort in reducing incidence of preventable disease, promoting life skills and social usefulness of vulnerable children and youth, reducing incidence of criminal and antisocial behavior perpetrated by youth, preventing re-entry of released inmates to correctional institutions, reducing cases of psychoactive drug abuse among vulnerable youth, promoting equal access to life-enhancing opportunities irrespective of gender and determining impacts of social interventions and physical development actions.

In view of all these apparent objectives, the Executive Director said that POWEF has been creating awareness on Sexual, Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS to secondary school adolescents who have had wrong information about sexual and reproductive health. Mr. Joseph Obadiora,
the General  Coordinator said that this initiative has massively boosted the morale of the young adults so much so that that their self-esteem is now so high and many other benefits have been and still currently enjoyed by these young chaps.

The YLD Young Leadership Development Programme (YLD) Mr. Obadiora further stated that it is one of the initiatives POWEF is currently handling which provides leadership and life skills training opportunities to students in order to prepare them for leadership roles within their schools and their immediate communities. He added that POWEF has been able to train 112 student leaders, 39 from Oduduwa College in Ife Central Local Government Area and 73 from School of Science in Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State.

Mr. Obiora also made mention of other initiatives which are Household Empowerment and Livelihood Project (HELP) to promote the livelihood of less privileged youths and women in the communities and support to some women who are members of Palm-Oil Millers and Traders Cooperative Group in Bolorunduro and Egbejoda communities in Ife South of Nigeria. Positive Learning and Active Citizens Empowerment Project (PLACE) another of POWEF’s initiative is aimed at developing the economic, psychological and social value of prison inmates and drug addicts undergoing rehabilitation. This is to help their sustainable socialization and reintegration into the community and labor market after reentry and so far and for this POWEF has been able to work in Ile-Ife and Ilesha Prisons in Osun State.

POWEF is implementing ICT projects to support government efforts aimed at promoting computer literacy in Nigeria To raise the computer knowledge of students and other young populations in order to make them better equipped to cope with the computer-oriented world and to remove the “digital divide” between the privileged and the less privileged. The executive director stated that so far, over 200 young people and adults across the Local Government Areas in Ife zone, Osun State have been trained in Computer Literacy.

Regardless of all the impacts made on the communities POWEF still had the urge to do one more which was Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) the Initiative was developed to respond to the need for safe water source, access to sustainable supply of safe water to communities through use of local technology for spring development, hand-dug wells, borehole construction and rehabilitation of existing water schemes.

In a survey carried out by Healthy People 2010 Final Review, it shared that healthy people provide science-based national goals and objectives and equally adding every available, important and necessary value to the productivity and development of the country.

Researchers who also studied health matters presumed deterioration of health in many countries hence advised for a healthy lifestyle but each day, with new struggle further makes it a huge burden to shoulder health-related issues.

In Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria, Peace and Life Enhancement Initiative International (PLEII) believes that a healthy mind will definitely announce nature endowment and individual’s hope which would in the long run tackle poverty and increase productivity through the provision of peace and positive transformation.

Mr. Odukoya Olugbenga Olatunji, PLEII’s Executive Director said he had always lorded humanitarian works and was eventually moved to work for humanity.

According to Mr. Odukoya, he said that PLEII in June 2014 was fortunate enough to be one of the 15 CSOs who scaled through the Financial, Technical and Capacity assessment conducted by World Bank and Ogun State Agency for the Control of AIDS, for the HAF2 grants (HIV/AIDS Grants). And still, on this project, PLEII started intervention activities in July 2014 in 5 Local Governments (Ijebu Ode, Ijebu East, Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South and Ado-Odo Ota) in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Although extremely passionate on health-related matters, Mr. Odukoya did reveal that gnawing cravings to assist the less privileged in the society mounts, like organizing seminars, talk-shows, symposium and workshops on issues related to health, education, peace and agriculture, organizing adult literacy and vocational training programme, sensitizing and mobilizing women to assert their fundamental human rights, advocating the active participation and involvement of women and the physically challenged people in the development processes in the country and supporting the government and the societies in developing the youths and the children.

Recognizing that children and youths are important factors in the society, PLEII began and developed a soft support system for vulnerable children in 2009, a micro identification and enrolment of children.  This project was tagged Support for the Poor and Marginalized Children (SPMC) and was carried out in some communities in Ijebu Ode Local Government and Ijebu North East Local Government with 200 children enrolled.

“The SPMC project has been consistent since 2009 and has always replaced our children who have exceeded the age of 18 with new ones,” the executive director said. He highlighted the services rendered to children. They include educational support, health support, nutritional support, psychosocial services, and the right protection.

Mr. Odukoya further emphasized that there has been an expansion and increase over the years, that estimates of vulnerable children have moved from 25 in 2010 to 150 in 2013 while PLEII’s has continued to record tremendous growth. Some which are Support to 15 OVC in gaining Admission to a higher institution of learning, vocational skill programmes to vulnerable children through resource center, stabilization of OVCs health through health support services, Promotion of attitude conducive for safer sex practice and increase acceptance for condom use.

Children are highly vulnerable, as they are more likely to be victims of abuse, live in institutional care or on the street engaging in hazardous and exploitive labor.

Research shows that of about 2 million sex workers in India, 20 percent (400,000) are under age and actively involved in this act. Another research indicates that 143 million children in the developing world have lost one or both parents, including 80 percent of all the children who have lost a parent to AIDS and with the rise of this crisis, more children become orphans every day. In addition to this woe, many children who become orphans because of HIV/AIDS tend to be stigmatized in their communities.

According to UNICEF, there are 153 million children across the globe that are described as orphans. These children and others are at risk for poverty, health concerns, neglect, and abuse. Increasingly, numbers of children rise in refugee camps facing unique challenges every day. Malnutrition and diseases are prevalent in these places, transforming them to hell on earth hence creating an unusual environment for a growing child.

Another estimate reads that 7 million populations were orphans in 2003, which 1.8 million were affected by HIV/AIDS. Health survey indicates that nine percent of children in Nigeria are orphans and vulnerable children (VOC), with an estimation of 17.5 million out of which 7.3 million are orphaned by HIV/AIDS in 2013. Consequently, high levels of poverty resulting in low resource base and lack of basic credit and employment facilities in most rural communities have jeopardized the realization of the wellbeing of orphans and vulnerable children in Nigeria.

In the light of these emerging challenges in the country particularly in Lagos state, Dolly Children Foundation hence envisioned putting smiles on the faces of vulnerable children, targeting orphans and children laborers, rural and urban children, adolescents (in and out of school) with a mission to reach out to them through basic survival skills tagged around food, clothing, education and shelter, thereby enabling them to live impactful lives.

Dolly Children Foundation since 2006 never censored themselves to comfort the government’s ignorance or inadequacies, instead, this foundation rose to the challenge by lifting children from the dunghill setting them on the rock of independence and naturally obeying the clarion call of service to humanity.

The foundation has begun advancing the cause and welfare of vulnerable children by advocating on issues that can assuage their plight, helping to reduce the growing ratio of vulnerable children in the society in a bid to stop the avenues that expose children to all forms of vulnerability, helping vulnerable children lead productive and meaningful lives by providing basic educational, nutritional, clothing and accommodation needs for them, bridging the gap between society and these children by making them feel loved and cared for, working with individuals and organizations with common interests and as well as beliefs and visions to promote and enhance the welfare of the children.

DCF’s achievements include gender-based violence workshop at Magboro Community High School Ogun State, Make a Child Smile project which was held at Obafemi Owode Local Government Primary School Makogi, Ogun state in December 2014, DCF book donation  to Oregun Boys Remand Home in July 2013, Back2School Initiative (B2S) 1 – School Sandals project, 2011, Anglican Primary School, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Lagos, Back2School Initiative (B2S) 2 – Raincoat project in September 2012 all at Anglican Primary School, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Lagos.

Mrs. Adedolapo, DCF’s programmes’ officer said that efforts to care, support and protect vulnerable children should not be focused only on their immediate survival needs such as education, shelter and clothing, but also on long-term developmental needs that reduce children’s vulnerability such as life skills, child protection, vocational training, food security and household economic strengthening which the foundation has become and will continue to be actively involved in ensuring that these programmes continue to see the light of day she concluded.

Most of the problems facing today’s youth are not necessarily traced to any particular ethnic or religious groups but with a holistic observation, it can only be concluded that the aftermath of these problems affects the entire nation. Most discussions on youths have focused on issues such as drug abuse, crime, violence, sexuality, and poverty. In addition to these callous acts, today’s youths are afflicted by new challenges, which could be an identity crisis, low self-esteem and a sense of hopelessness.

With poverty eradication, good education standards, good governance, crime reduction, national growth, security, technological development, and employment creation, Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative sights and has thus geared to strive to improve the living condition of the less privileged in the society.

Founded in November 2011 with the main focus on education, empowerment, and inspiration to the youth and communities in Nigeria using sound and proven models that produce results through the use of effective and innovative development approaches, Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI) is committed to introducing effective development approaches that have been proven to work on the continent of Africa and ready for adaptation in the Nigerian setting. YEDI is dedicated to introducing tried-and-tested solutions by adapting, building and expanding these methods for the Nigerian youth, communities, and organizations that would benefit from evidence-based solutions and finally empowered to contribute to Nigeria’s future. With offices in Lagos, Ogun and Akwa Ibom states, YEDI currently runs two life-transforming programmes – Grass root Soccer and Urban Achievers.

The Grassroots Soccer is YEDI’s first sport for development program that educates Nigerian youth about HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Grassroots Soccer also empowers youth by providing important life and coping skills through participatory and fun activities in schools in disadvantaged communities, using two curricula – Skillz Naija and Skillz Girls for its community-based and in-school interventions.

Lucky Ihanza, YEDI’s communications officer said that SKILLZ NAIJA is a culture, mindset, and toolkit for educators for teaching young people about HIV/AIDS, malaria prevention and life skills. It creates simple but powerful connections between soccer and life skills. Helping youth to have the relevant and important decisions about life, take steps to achieve these goals, stay strong when faced with challenges, and protect themselves and others from diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.

The second curriculum, SKILLZ GIRLS Program is a girls-targeted intervention program that combines activities-based HIV prevention and life skills curriculum with soccer and peer-led community outreach activities. It creates a safe space for adolescent girls to play non-competitive soccer, take action in their communities, and have vital conversations about HIV and AIDS and develop critical life management skills for their advancement.

Meanwhile, URBAN ACHIEVERS, the second programme, work closely with private sector employers to develop a cadre of youth, equipping them with skills and attitudes that meet the needs of the private sectors and assisting them to pursue economic opportunities and careers, while they serve as role models to their peers in their communities.

According to Lucky Ihanza, stated that since the inception of the foundation, YEDI has consistently demonstrated that football can effectively be used to mobilize and engage youth and communities for impacts and development. These interventions have reached over 50,000 people in different local government areas in Lagos, Akwa-Ibom and the Ogun States, equipping them with information to live healthily and make informed decisions in life, become change agents in their communities and broader range increase in knowledge about HIV/AIDS and malaria, sexual and reproductive health, and life-management skills.

Communities were not left out as they were provided with free HIV testing and counseling, free malaria testing and treatment, free insecticidal-treated bed nets, advocacy against stigma and discrimination on HIV/AIDS and gender balance. Amongst just a few, YEDI did not fail to develop role models by training over 400 Youths as Peer Educators to facilitate the Grassroots Soccer Programme.

Speaking on if NGOs can completely be independent of the government, YEDI’s communications officer opined that in cases where there is an overall national strategic plan in tackling issues of concerns, NGOs must work in alignment with the policies of the day especially when it is in line with achieving a national goal. She, however, concluded that NGOs should also advocate causes that will bring about change and save lives even when such causes are not popular.

Millions of children navigate through life every day without protection neither from deliberate nor non-deliberate harms or danger, unprotected, their plights ignored and their needs neglected.

These children go with no formal identity, parental care farfetched, becoming prey to exploitation, trafficking, forced labor, domestic service, early marriage, ET all.

These children are the orphans of this world, they suffer the death, loss or absence of their parents and denied their first line of protection. They are burdened by sudden responsibilities or forced to fend for themselves and ultimately becoming less visible in the community. With an estimation revealing that one in every thirteen children is an orphan in the developing world and another estimation of seven million orphaned in 2003 here in Nigeria, indicates a huge need for this issue to be timely addressed and arrested.

In filling these identified gaps and serving as a shelter for these abandoned ones, Dewdrops Care Development Foundation was thus propelled to serve as an ointment to reduce the soreness of the less privileged in the society since June 18^th, 2013.

Serving as a humanitarian organization Dewdrops Care Development Foundation is striving to better the standard of living of orphans and create a suitable platform that will build them spiritually, morally, materially and financially.

Evangelist Grace Bakare, the president of the foundation pledges to reduce the level of poverty among the children of the less privileged, obtain sponsorship for the orphans, plead for these orphans to find a loving home, find suitable long term placement in cases where adoption is not possible, support the best physical and emotional care for the children housed at the DEWDROPS FOUNDATION, maximize every donation received in order to benefit them, increase awareness of the orphans and the reality that each child, regardless of physical or medical handicap, is uniquely created, and lastly to facilitate an ongoing relationship with the local communities remains unrelenting in this humanitarian work even till date.

Although still very tender in this business of selfless service, Evangelist Bakare further pledges relentlessness in ensuring that orphans are off the streets in her community and given proper abode. She further noted that to date the scale of the national response has not been commensurate with the magnitude of the orphans and vulnerable children’s problems. She, therefore, urged the government and the community to be selflessly driven in helping and creating a much better life for the less privileged in the society.

A child without education is like a bird without wings, and education, they say is the bedrock of any nation and its youth, the future. Education which is also fundamental to development and growth is no doubt one of the best things that have ever happened to mankind.

This shield and sword Chike International Foundation viewed and deemed fit to pass across to the teeming youths in the community believing that it would give a better tomorrow for them, their families and the society at large.

With the motto: ‘the voice of the unheard’, Chike International Foundation is focused on wiping out the inhuman and unjust treatment of women, children, and youths in the society. Some of these unjust treatments have been seen to have resulted in unusual and unruly behavior amongst the youth. The women are not left out either, their untold hardship, punishments and sufferings especially the widows cum the high mortality rate of children distinctively gave rise to this foundation.

In 2007, Apollos Elendu Chike and Florence Chike who are a down to earth Christian couple and pastors a church together with a group in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria found it needful to embark on this journey of rising to the plight of the less privileged in their  community and ensuring that hope is  restored to them.

Some of their visions include:  educating the children up to nursery, primary and secondary school level, improving the living condition of people on skill development and self-help, to form and facilitate women development empowerment skills, promoting health programmes for women and children, providing housing for the homeless and to arrange and give micro-credit for restoration of livelihood, together with their mission; which are to protect women from sexual exploitation and trafficking and to prevent them from contracting HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

In the heart of the city of PortHarcourt, Chike International Foundation so far has been able to make their impacts felt in their own little way. Parts of their achievements include computer training education, children and women development programmes, rehabilitation programmes, free education for the orphans and the physically challenged and regular widows’ meetings where cloths and food items are provided for them.

As a humanitarian organization, the founders lament over very tight finances which has been a major constraint from fulfilling most of their planned projects, but again a promise which has been made to render service to humanity is not about to be broken instead the foundation reaffirmed and reassured the less privileged that the foundation will forever remain true to this course.

It is on this note of credibility, a whole lot of impacts and love for humanity and most especially to the youths in whom they have a strong and an unshaken belief that in them lies unwavering greatness that will transform the face of this nation, the foundation vows to ride on with the selfless service.