Youth One World supports the construction of a new child protection center for street children in Lagos | 150 million children live on the streets worldwide
Vienna (OTS) – Around January 31st, the day of remembrance of the youth patron Don Bosco, the Austrian development organization Jugend Eine Welt traditionally draws attention to the precarious situation of an estimated 150 million street children worldwide. Forced to spend life on the open road, a bridge, a house driveway or simply the sidewalk is often used as a place to sleep. Living in constant fear of being attacked, beaten or mistreated, street children are drawn to crime or drug addiction. Important school education, the only way out of the spiral of poverty, usually remains an unfulfilled dream for street children.
Together with a reliable and long-standing network of project partners, Jugend Eine Welt has been caring for the well-being of these disadvantaged children since it was founded 26 years ago and enabling them to live in dignity. With Linus Valentine Onyenagubor, a street worker and priest from Nigeria, Jugend Eine Welt received a visit from a very special project partner this year on the occasion of “Street Children’s Day”. Thanks to the support of the Austrian development organization, the 39-year-old is helping where help is urgently needed: in the dangerous streets of the city of 15 million people, Lagos.
Streetworker & Priester
With around 220 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. A good 15 million people live in the megacity of Lagos alone, including 100,000 street children. Father Linus Valentine Onyenagubor walks the streets of Lagos every day and looks after the children and young people living there. He speaks to them, tries to be their friend and supporter. His mission is to give them hope and prevent them from slipping into crime. Father Linus, like Don Bosco once did, advocates for these children. He gives them confidence, provides them with food as much as possible and, if possible, gives them an education. “I see everything I do on the street as the hand of God working in me.”said the native Nigerian at the “Street Children’s Day” event in Vienna’s Curhaus last Friday. Together with Youth One World Managing Director Reinhard Heiserer Linus Valentine Onyenagubor gave insights into the important work on site in Lagos. Went through the afternoon with Chris Lohner, volunteer ambassador for Jugend Eine Weltprobably the most famous female voice in Austria.
Fateful encounter
Linus Valentine Onyenagubor grew up as one of eight children in a sheltered environment. A visit to the Catholic mission high school “St. Murumba College Jos” equipped him with the necessary tools and skills to help poor, often neglected and abandoned youth. “I had my first encounter with street children in 2006. It was both challenging and interesting to work with them. I believe it was God’s will that led me to this experience.”he outlines his reasons for working as a street worker. “This encounter sparked a passion in me to help neglected young people and offer them a better environment, like a family. Since then, my desire to help street children has only grown.”
Dangers & Challenges
But working as a street worker on the streets of Lagos is not easy. There are many dangers and challenges that the project partner from the Austrian development organization Jugend Eine Welt has to face. “One of the biggest threats is the fear of being hurt or attacked by the “Oga” – the people who exploit street children. “In addition, there is a lack of financial support, medication and accommodation for the homeless children.”
says Linus Valentine Onyenagubor, who also runs the Salesians of Don Bosco child protection center in Lagos, which is now bursting at the seams. “Once a week the young people can shower with us, they get a healthy, warm meal, they receive medical care and they are offered a space for conversations and games for a few hours. But then most of them have to go back to the streets, where abuse, beatings, hunger, illness and drugs are omnipresent.”
Construction of a new child protection center is urgently needed
For Jugend Eine Welt, the construction of an additional protection center for the street children in Lagos is a matter of the heart. “Currently only around 15 children can live permanently in the existing child protection center. A much larger one is therefore urgently needed.”explained Reinhard Heiserer, Managing Director of Jugend Eine Welt. “Thanks to the support of our donors, a suitable property with a shell building on it has already been purchased. There is still a lot to do, but once it is completed, over 100 children will be regularly sheltered there and prepared with education and training for an independent life in dignity.”
A future prospect that, on the one hand, makes the future residents shine, but on the other hand, is only possible with further support. “Please continue to help the street children in Lagos with your donation!”said Heiserer in conclusion.
Infos: www.jugendeinewelt.at
Youth One World donation account: AT66 3600 0000 0002 4000 | Online donations at www.jugendeinewelt.at/spenden | Donations are tax deductible!
Additional rights-free images are available for free editorial use HERE available for download.
Questions & Contact:
Mag. Thomas Zach, MA
Youth One World | Press and public relations
Tel. +43 664 886 325 74 | thomas.zach@jugendeinewelt.at