Bosco Boys Home provides services to children and youth who have been abandoned, exploited

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been operating Bosco Boys Home since 2009 to meet the needs of children and youth living on the street in Ibadan, Nigeria. Salesians provide a peaceful environment where children and youth can study, learn a trade and have hope for a better life. They also have access to food, health care and psycho-social support through a team of social workers and educators.

A Salesian explained, “Growing wealth disparities, the high rate of people fleeing their homeland due to security problems and internal crises have made Nigeria one of the West African countries with troubling rates of abandoned children living on the streets.”

Ibadan is the capital of Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria and the third most populous city in the country. According to a 2021 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund, one in 10 children in Ibadan can be considered homeless.

A Salesian noted, “These children have faced abuse, abandonment or exploitation. At the Bosco Boys Home they have a safe and stimulating environment where they can grow physically, emotionally, intellectually and socially. Through a holistic approach to education and protection, the team offers these children the tools to become empowered and stronger, enabling them to set small goals, hone their abilities, and regain self-confidence.”

The Salesian Mission Office in Turin, Italy supports the Bosco Boys Home by providing funding to ensure that 30 children and youth access the services, including family reunification, if possible. In addition, funding supports the provision of teaching materials and vocational training courses as well as awareness programs about children living on the street.

About 64% of households in Nigeria consider themselves to be poor while 32% of households say their economic situation had worsened over a period of one year, according to UNICEF. Poverty still remains one of the most critical challenges facing the country and population growth rates have meant a steady increase in the number of people living in conditions of poverty.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Missioni Don Bosco

ANS – Nigeria – Help for street children in Ibadan thanks to “Missioni Don Bosco”

Salesian Missions – Nigeria

UNICEF – Nigeria