CHILDREN AWARD: WE WERE INSPIRED BY LEAH SHARIBU – Prosper Kanayo

SEEJOY FOUNDATION CHILDREN AWARD:
WE WERE INSPIRED BY THE COURAGE OF LEAH SHARIBU – Prosper Kanayo

Prosper Gabriel Kanayo is the Founder/Executive Director of SeeJoy Foundation, an NGO based in Nigerian, Ghana and Tanzania ministering to widows, widowers and orphans. Recently, the foundation organised the first ever award for children in Nigeria. Children who have shown raw courage and brilliance in different areas of their children lives were spotted and invited to the ceremony, which promises to be a yearly event. In this interview with E-life, Kanayo, parish pastor of Living waters Unlimited Church Isolo, Lagos Nigeria, a prolific writer, human rights advocate and businessman takes a look at the awards, the Nigerian child, his challenges and solutions. He believes that given the right supports, the Nigerian Child could compete favourably well with his counterparts anywhere in the world.  Excerpts from the interview.

What led to the idea of the award?
This came from the Leah Sharibu’s experience, her unwavering courage. It just occurred to me that Leah was just 15 years old when she was captured by the enemies of Jesus. She is just a child. Inside of every child are latent treasures that can only be unveiled through self-discovery. Our research and experience in the last 16 years have shown a large neglect on children which should be recognised. So the award came alive to build the mind of our children for a better tomorrow.

Looking at the younger generation we call millennials, so many people regard them as lazy and without direction. What is your opinion of them?
I disagree with that. Our work with different youth across Nigeria has shown otherwise. We found out that many of our youth are very creative. A lot of them doing exploit. We have come to the conclusion that those who are called lazy are seen as lazy due to lack of amenities which could come handy in their pursuits of their opportunities. Governments at different levels have not measured up. This is one of the dangers of categorisations and generalisation. Categories don’t recognize or acknowledge the unique qualities of their components. There are hardworking young Nigerians and also those that are lazy. To now regard the young generation as lazy is going beyond evidence.

What support have you received from the public in birthing the award? And what are the areas of support you still need?
We have received no support from anywhere. All that happened at event is pure self funding. However, we do not throw our hands up in despair. People, organisations or government that desire to partner with us can still do so. We need support in areas of publicity, educational materials and sponsorships, financial supports, properties for the building of Standard Skill Acquisition Centre, human capital (Volunteers), and bus for interstate mobility.

What is your view on the standard of education in Nigeria? So many people insist it has fallen irretrievably…
Yes, the educational system in Nigeria is not advancing. Where else can we put the blame if not government? There are a lot of needs in the Educational system. Equipment used in our schools today is all obsolete. The sector has not been well represented, even in the current budget. Our educational fabric lacks the five Godly principles: Self-Love, Self-Value, Self-Esteem, Self-Belief and Self-Concept. Education is more than reading and writing.

You also gave awards to the handicapped children. What is your message concerning this?
That a child is handicapped does not mean he cannot be useful. We have seen so many of them doing titanic things at their levels. They need to be encouraged.  Inclusion has been our priority. We have always worked with this set of people as we realised the need to fully accommodate and encourage them as there is always ability in disability. The government is not giving enough support to the handicapped despite the fact that they have passed the inclusion and anti discrimination bill. We advise them to do more so we can do just like the western world.

Concerning children, what is your message the parents?
Parents should know that sending their wards to school, paying their fees is not enough. They should invest in their wards by giving them positive exposure. This will help them think beyond their certificates and make them more creative.

Can you compare the Nigerian children with children in Europe and America? Are the children here competitive?
No. What keeps people ahead in life is not just their education or degrees. It more of the opportunities that is available to them and they are trained to seize. Nigerian Children are competitive and can get better, if they are better equipped to take on the opportunities available to them.

 Given the situation in Nigeria today, what future do you envisage for the Nigerian child? Do you think they are being raised in the right atmosphere?
Based on the reactions and yearnings of the children as regards their interests on their thoughts as derived from their questions in the hall on that day, I will say, with continuous reorientation and learning, the future is bright for them. Yes, they are being raised in the right atmosphere. They only need to believe in themselves.

 In all of this, what spiritual support is there for the children? Are they being raised with the fear of God?
The Church has failed to inculcate the right teaching of love tin the children, as the children experience a huge neglect from the Church teaching these days. From our research findings, we can conclude that the Church has indirectly contributed negatively to the children by damaging the children’s value with fear, negative types of prayer and experiences in our Churches.