ORPHANAGE.

Orphanage: as a place of succor?

A Picture Of Happy Children In A Nigerian orphanage.

A group picture of orphans in an orphanage in Nigeria.

Picture Of Orphans, Waiting For Provision In An Orphanage In Nigeria.

An orphanage is regarded as a place devoted to the care of children separated from their biological parent(s), either because they were abandoned by their parent(s) or not taken care of by them. An orphanage is meant to give hope, love and care to the children to show them that they are loved and to enable them have a reason to keep living.

It's difficult to know the exact amount of orphanages that we have in Nigeria as some are governmental while others are non governmental organizations (NGOs) (independent organizations not for profit making but for humanitarian services). People are employed to work in these orphanages to assist in taking care of the children; but the question is , are they really showing these children the love and care they were employed to show? Besides, some some so called orphanages are are child-trafficking and slaving centers where children are abused and molested round the clock.

It's an open secret that Nigerian orphanages do not take care of the children under their care. Babies, as young as a week old, are being taken to orphanage homes as a result of death of the parent(s) or negligence on the parts of the parents. These children are meant to be cared for by those employed in the orphanages like their own children. But it is disheartening to note that most of these orphanages lack good hygiene etiquette because they-the tender orphans, are at the beginning of their life and need adequate love and concern to develop healthy. I visited an orphanage sometime ago and the first thing that infuriated me was the lack of good hygiene. I was expecting to be told to take off my shoes while going in as it was the babies section I visited but I was welcomed with my shoes on, which is not meant to be so as the germs that are beneath the shoes could be transferred to them either directly or indirectly.

Secondly, the babies are malnourished as they are all looking so lean and weak. Normally, babies of a year old should be agile and happy when they meet people, but reverse was the case here. Even from the way they looked, not to mention, their weight it was so obvious that they were not well fed.
Meanwhile, there is the issue of maltreatment. In the orphanage I visited, a baby that was not interested in using the toilet was beaten for it. There were some babies that I met on their little toilet and remained there throughout my stay. These children sat on that same position for more than 30 minutes and did not make a sound or call the attention of the workers because of the fear of being beaten. Babies are meant to be treated with love at the early stage of their lives; they should be allowed to enjoy their growth even though they are in an orphanage.
As orphanages that are set up originally to care for children whose hope had been lost and children whose parents did not care if they lived or died at such young age, adequate care, love and attention should be showered on them. They did not choose to be orphans and should be treated like normal children too. This act is not to be overlooked and should be given adequate and immediate attention by the government. These children should be cared for by these so called employed workers like their own children, not like just any children. Also, fear had been inculcated into these babies so much that it was an obvious thing. This if not checked will lead to inferiority complex in them and it can even make them grow up into bullies and abusive adults. The government should send supervisors to these homes to check on the well-being of these children and they should be provided with good and adequate health services, good food for growth and good clothing to make them look presentable at all times. Good citizens that care about these children should also visit them regularly to assure them that they are being loved by everyone and not to give up.
Finally, it's high time Nigerians turn positive attitude to fostering. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking in an orphan to start living with you. Once all protocols had been duly observed and the child has been legally placed in your care by the government, there is no other known problem or issue that should deter anyone from fostering a helpless child who has no access to either love or affection from any known family member. There is this Nigerian mentality that no child can be like your biological one. People with this mentality are to say the least are part of the problems our society is facing.
A couple of years back, it was estimated that more than fifteen thousand (15, 000) African orphans were adopted by American foster parents. Until we change our mindsets about fostering and adoption, we will continue to witness the things ills that have plagued the African society for generations immemorial. You my dear reader can make a change in the world by changing your mindset about adoption if you are among those who consider it unnecessary.
Thank you.

About The Author

Susan Akinrinola is a Nigerian teenage writer and poet. She dedicates her writings to the development of youths and teenagers all over the world. She currently lives in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. She is currently aspiring to study at the prestigious University of Ibadan.

Akinrinola Susan.

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