Olamide Babs
Nigerian children living in the streets of Lagos will have cause to smile soon as a non-governmental organisation, Glorious Vessels Foundation, perfects plans to lift their spirit.
Glorious Vessels Foundation Nigeria is an offspring of Vessels of Hope, also a non-profit organisation and the charity arm of Hope Now TV and Conferences, founded by Ruckey Peniel. It was established in 2012 as a direct response to the needs of the less privileged observed by Peniel while working as a legal counsellor and interpreter for victims of human trafficking in Zurich, Switzerland. She believes that the underlying cause of the social psychological brokenness of the victims, ie broken interpersonal relationship is the lack of charity and selflessness exhibited by members of the society.
Peniel, an international public speaker, author, and host of Hope Now TV and Conferences, holds a Masters in International Law and has many years experience as an ordained pastoral counsellor and certified relationship coach. She continually seeks effective preventive ways of dealing with the psycho-social issues of the people especially the less-privileged as opposed to just intervention.
On her foundation’s latest project titled Hope on the Streets (HOTS) slated for March 23 in Lagos, Peniel said the event is targeted at street children in the Oshodi area of Lagos.
She said HOPE NOW through the Glorious Vessels Foundation in Nigeria is working to empower the homeless and less privileged in Nigerian communities. She said the idea is to bring hope to the hopeless.
“Our March 23 programme is targeted at street children in Oshodi area of Lagos. We have observed that there are children many of whom are exposed to the vicissitudes of daily living without anyone caring for their well-being. It is a globally- accepted principle that children and the vulnerable must be protected by the state and individuals in a position to do so.
“In Nigeria and Lagos in particular, children are exposed to the elements and other hazards with many of them out of school. At Hope Now through the Glorious Vessels Foundation, we aim to reach out to as many as we can. We have to change not only this deplorable situation by appealing to the conscience of our people but equally through physical action like the one we have scheduled for March 23,” Peniel said.
Shedding more light on the event, she said HOTS Lagos, as officially tagged, is an action to bolster self-confidence in street children and to inspire a crime-free lifestyle whilst emphasising the importance of education and dignity. She said on that day, the foundation would distribute food and gift items to the street children.
Only recently, the foundation brought succour to widows of the victims of insurgency in Nigeria’s North East by supplying them with food items purchased through funds realised from a fundraiser organised by its sister organisation, Vessels of Hope, Switzerland, at the Hope Now Zurich 2018. In attendance at that event was Nigeria’s Ambassador to Switzerland, His Excellency, Baba Madugu.