October 07, (THEWILL) – No less than 3,311 vulnerable children and orphans have been rescued and given a meaningful source of livelihood in Bayelsa State through the state’s livelihood-based social protection and care programme.
The programme, which is part of the Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award Project (ICHSSA 1), was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and powered by the Centre For Clinical Care and Clinical Research (CCCRN) in partnership with the Bayelsa State Government, Catholic Relief Services and 16 other community-based organisations.
Speaking during the launch of Bayelsa State Strategic Plan for Vulnerable Children Programming (2025-2030) and CCCRN-ICHSSA 1 project state dissemination and closeout meeting in Yenagoa, the state capital, on Monday, the Chief of Party of ICHSSA 1 project, Dr. Peters Adekoya, said the rescued vulnerable children were drawn from 1,171 households in the state.
He said the project’s approach has significantly improved food security, livelihood skills, health and social well-being, thereby reducing poverty and vulnerability among the children, adding that the successes achieved with the project have enhanced their efforts to extend and replicate the programme across the state to reach more vulnerable children in need.
He said: “From the initiation of the project in Bayelsa in October 2021 to September 2024, the ICHSSA 1 project achieved significant milestones in supporting vulnerable children and adolescents, which significantly improved economic stability and access to essential services for beneficiaries.
“With the establishment of an orphan and vulnerable children state technical steering committee, the group promotes rapid responses to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and social protection issues, our cash transfers were given to 114 households and many others.”
Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who officially launched the Bayelsa State Strategic Plan for Vulnerable Children Programming (2025-2030), said the reason the state government sustained the programme at the local government level was that over 70 percent of vulnerable children live in local communities.
He urged the State Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to expand the programme because orphans are also vulnerable.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Women, Children Affairs, Empowerment and Social Development, Elizabeth Bidei, said they have commenced the implementation of a three-year intervention called Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award Project (ICHSSA 1), across the eight local government areas of the state.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
