Smile Givers Initiative, a non governmental organisation founded by Mrs Adetutu Adegunju, treated some primary and secondary school pupils to moments of fun in celebration of the year 2022 Children Day Outreach held at the Power of Faith Gospel Church, Akanran, Olorunsogo, Ibadan on Friday.
The children, numbering about 150, were full of excitement as they sang, danced, engaged in exercise and drills, as well as quiz competition.
They all went home with various gift items and were fed with delicious meal after watching a Christian movie that treated the subject of training the child in the way of the Lord.
Two of the children, namely Abiodun Iretomiwa, a Primary 4 student of Green Pasture Model School, Ibadan, and Akinloye Timileyin Michael, an SS3 student of Community High School, Sawia, also in Ibadan, urged the government to give quality education to children in public schools in a bid to secure their future.
A staff of Smile Givers Charity Initiative, Seyi Adebiyi, while shedding light on the essence of the programme, said, “We are here today to celebrate children globally. We believe that time has come when the society should begin to take children more seriously because they are not just our tomorrow but are relevant to our present day. We should not be weary in grooming them for the future.
“I pray that God would help those who are involved in training up the child. Government and the society, as well as the community are parts of this. Teachers and schools also; God is going to help them to be in the right track.
“A lot of children are going through turbulence. Those who are in position to help them should not ignore or undermine them. Every terrorist began as a child. Everyone involved in one vice or the other started as a child. But, because they were not helped they became hardened. God will help us to take responsibility.”
Pastor Samuel Ariyo Awe of the Power of Faith Gospel Church, who lauded Smile Givers Initiative for committing itself to child welfare and development, said, “It gladens my heart that we have a day like this to celebrate our children. The Bible says children are the heritage of the Lord. They are powerful instrument in the hand of God for particular purposes. Children should see themselves as special and peculiar vessels in the hand of God. As such, they would not yield to the enticement of the devil.
“In the country today, a lot of trouble are happening. Most of the children were not properly brought up; they were not brought up in the way of the Lord. That is why we are having so much trouble in the society. If children see themselves as special vessels in the hand of God, they would live for a glorious tomorrow. The children must have the vision of a greater tomorrow.
“Some of us playing with sand when we were children grew up to become architects, surveyors and builders. The children must have a clear vision. This would drive them to becoming better vessels in the hand of God.
“Most of the vices in the society were caused by untrained children. Train your child the way he should go, when he is old, he would not depart from it. Many parents fail to train their children in the way of the Lord. Many parents would leave the home in the morning and leave their children in the hand of care givers. The children would have no opportunity to cultivate the right attributes from the parents.”
Harping on the need for parents to have quality time with their children, he said, “Unfortunately today, many parents would leave work and go to joints or clubs. Parents should give the children local intelligence and train them. Let them go to church and study the Bible. Some parents go to church and leave their children at home.
“I want to appreciate God for the Smile Givers Initiative. I pray that God bless and reward their labour of love.”
Adegunju, in a telephone message, said that the Smile Givers Initiative would continue to contribute its quota by providing platforms for the less privileged children to attain their potentials in life as purposed for them by God.
