Sanwo made the vow to give hope and make life meaningful for
vulnerable groups in the state.
The governor said this at the launch of a Social Welfare
Integrated Program Initiative (SWIPI) aimed at supporting orphanages, elderly
care homes, and others in the areas of addressing their infrastructure,
medical, education, nutrition, and training needs.
He said there is a lot to be done to care for the less
privileged in the society and that his government would not give excuses.
He said he was particularly thrilled with the objectives of
the SWIPI team in reaching out to the care homes in the state.
He added that it was a clarion call on all to join hands
with the government to make a positive difference.
“I am actually very thrilled listening to all of the very
modest interventions and initiatives that SWIPI stands for and I must thank the
initiator and the Grand Patron. There is a lot we can do for the children and
vulnerable people out there; there is a lot that is expected of us.
“As a government, we are not going to give excuses and I
will personally take the lead and see that we double up our interventions
through Ministries of Youth and Social Development, Women Affairs and Poverty
Alleviation, and other MDAs,” the Governor assured.
Narrating the experience on his way to the venue of the
SWIPI launch where he stopped the convoy upon noticing two young girls roaming
the street during school hours.
He gave the names of the girls as Chindinma Amarachi and
Suwebat, 9 and 12 years respectively, vowing to take over the sponsorship of
their education.
“Out there, there are several Amarachis and Suwebats who
don’t have the opportunity to go to school.
“We all can make a difference if we choose to and this is
why I am indeed happy with this SWIPI project because there is no better thing
we can do to mankind than ensuring that we can make life better for our
next-door neighbour,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Speaking earlier after her investiture as the Grand Patron
of SWIPI, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu said she was
fascinated by the objective of the organization which is principally aimed at
helping to tremendously improve the quality and value of care to the less
privileged in society.
According to her, “It is commendable that SWIPI is already
intervening in delivering a training curriculum for registered caregivers,
using world-class facilitators and the feedback has been improved knowledge and
delivery of care by the caregivers in all the registered homes and orphanages
in the state.
“The organization has also been strong in improving the
quality of social welfare administration through the donation of critical
equipment and facilities including digital tablets, computers, boreholes, water
treatment plants, and toilet facilities, among others to ramp up the care of
the vulnerable in the homes.”
She said it was with a deep sense of responsibility and call
to service that she accepted the investiture in order to consolidate on the
amazing objective to embed best practices in social welfare administration in
the overall interest of the vulnerable, especially children, the elderly, and
mentally challenged individuals.
The First Lady also called on others to support SWIPI by
donating generously; just as she said that addressing the plight of the most
vulnerable in society is a collective responsibility that falls on every global
citizen.
“I believe that the social welfare system is one of the
single most important sectors of society that can deliver a marked improvement
in the standard of living of the most vulnerable in our society,” she said.
Besides, she called for deliberate policies and laws to
ensure that registered orphanages and elderly care homes adhere to best
practices, while efforts are put in place to address the issue of unregistered
homes, with the view to ensuring that they are properly regulated.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of SWIPI, Dr. Kolawole Ajayi said the organization consists of 11 professionals from different walks of life who have an incredible love for children and are concerned about the social, economic, health, and welfare of vulnerable children, particularly those in orphanages.
He said SWIPI was concerned about children with some
learning disorders abandoned in the orphanages and the less privileged adults
in the elderly homes in the state, saying the focus of the project was to
address the identified gaps in social welfare practice and administration.
At the event, digital tablets were presented to 14
registered elderly care homes to enhance their operations toward e-learning.
They are Rock Garden Home for the Elderly, Jozel Care,
Chrisgloria Nursing, Precious Jewels, Winiseph Care Home, Blue Gate Home
Care-Healthcare, Centre for Happy Elderly People.
Others are Mariam Akintola Senior Citizens Care Home, Old
People’s Rehabilitation Centre, The Cathedral Circle Initiative, Primecare
Rehabilitation Resources Limited, Old People’s Home, Multibeniose Elderly and
Motherly Care, and The Shepherd’s Heaven.
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