Initiative Archives - TOKAN Foundation https://tokanfoundation.com/category/initiative/ CAC/IT/No. 113059 Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:13:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7 https://tokanfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/cropped-Logo-Official-32x32.png Initiative Archives - TOKAN Foundation https://tokanfoundation.com/category/initiative/ 32 32 CRJJC’s Know Your Rights Initiative https://tokanfoundation.com/2024/08/02/crjjc-know-your-rights-initiative/ https://tokanfoundation.com/2024/08/02/crjjc-know-your-rights-initiative/#respond Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:13:44 +0000 https://tokanfoundation.com/?p=468 In June and July 2024, our Child Rights and Juvenile Justice Center (“CRJJC”) hosted the Know Your Rights Initiative across the correctional centres for children in Lagos. The first event was held on 15 June 2024 at the Special Correctional Centre for Junior Boys, Oregun (“SCCB”); a combined event was held on 22 June 2024 […]

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]]> In June and July 2024, our Child Rights and Juvenile Justice Center (“CRJJC”) hosted the Know Your Rights Initiative across the correctional centres for children in Lagos. The first event was held on 15 June 2024 at the Special Correctional Centre for Junior Boys, Oregun (“SCCB”); a combined event was held on 22 June 2024 for the Special Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi Araba (“SCCG”) and Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi Araba (“CCG”); another combined event was held on 13 July 2024 for Correctional Centre for Junior Boys, Yaba and Correctional Centre for Senior Boys, Isheri.

The Initiative was aimed at informing the children about their rights and its sources, helping them recognize when these rights are applicable, and helping them understand how to leverage those rights. One pertinent goal was to ensure that the children understood that they were humans with inalienable rights, just like the adults. We believe that children who know their rights can better speak up against violations and even educate their parents, children, and adults about them. The Initiative also sought to raise awareness about CRJJC’s mission and services and encouraged children to seek assistance when needed.

The event was coordinated by a team of experienced lawyers, law students, and other volunteers. The lawyer-speakers discussed Child Rights (under the Nigerian Constitution and laws) and Child Justice Administration. Individualised breakout sessions were held to mentor and engage with each child on a personal  level. The event also included icebreakers, game sessions, and giveaways. At the end of each event, a child was invited to “Be My Lawyer,” an interactive game where they were provided with a set of facts and asked how they would legally represent another child with the knowledge gained from the event.

The breakout sessions provided lawyers with more insight into issues faced by children in each centre. A recurrent issue at SCCB was the prosecution of only boys for underage sexual conduct with girls, i.e., defilement. A recurrent issue at the SCCG and CCG was child labour (working as house girls) and defilement by adults. Note that under the law, the term “rape” is used when the survivor is an adult and “defilement” when the survivor is a child. In Nigeria, boys are prosecuted under the laws of defilement. In contrast, other jurisdictions recognise that children engage in sexual conduct and have special “Romeo and Juliet” laws to address these through guidance and counselling, instead of prosecution.

The events of June/July marked Phase 1 of the Initiative, which we hope to repeat in subsequent quarters. We appreciate our team of trustees and volunteers who ensured that these events were educational and impactful. In no particular order we appreciate CRJJC's Trustees - Tope Tokan-Lawal and Akorede Adelupe; our volunteer lawyers, Abayomi Osuntuyi, Lolade Ayeni, Raphael Irenen, Seun Alli (a trustee of TOKAN Foundation), Yosola Diya; and our student volunteers - Oluwatunmise Lasisi (LASU), Oluebube James (UNILAG), Christabel Chika (UNIZIK), Sharon Ogunjiofor (UNILAG), Fathia Adetola (LASU). Special gratitude goes to our patrons, Itselela Omo-Ikirodah and Ogranya Jable Osai.

Top left: The team with Mrs Onakoya, a social worker, at SCCB Top center: Winning drawing from SCCG and CCG combined event Top right: Engaging the girls at SCCG and CCG Bottom left: The team with the SCCG Prinicipal, Mrs Ojukotola, and the VP Bottom center: The team with CCJB Principal, Mr Salu Bottom right: CRJJC's trustees, Tope Tokan-Lawal and Akorede Adelupe, discussing with Mrs Onakoya

Support Our Mission

The Child Rights and Juvenile Justice Center (“CRJJC”), registered as the Child Rights and Juvenile Advocacy Center with CAC/IT/No/193337, is the legal services arm of TOKAN Foundation for Children and Young People inspired by the TOKAN Initiative. We provide legal support to children and juveniles in Nigeria. Our wholistic approach to child rights advocacy and juvenile justice helps to ensure that children and juveniles receive needed support in and out of the court room.

How You Can Help

Donations remain crucial to our work and you can support our activities with donations to the foundation’s bank account No. 1015972986 (Zenith Bank Plc) or https://paystack.com/pay/tokanfoundation (for Nigerian and International donations).

For more information about CRJJC or to explore other ways to support our work, please reach out to us at crjjc@tokanfoundation.com and engage with us on social media. We warmly welcome partnerships with individuals, businesses, religious organizations, and government agencies.

Thank you for your continued support!

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]]> https://tokanfoundation.com/2024/08/02/crjjc-know-your-rights-initiative/feed/ 0 468 TOKAN Initiative https://tokanfoundation.com/2022/10/20/tokan-initiative/ https://tokanfoundation.com/2022/10/20/tokan-initiative/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:45:02 +0000 https://tokanfoundation.com/?p=1 The post TOKAN Initiative appeared first on TOKAN Foundation.

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At TOKAN Foundation, we believe that access to quality education and welfare should be basic human rights, and no child should be so denied either. In 2021, we sponsored the school fees of 22 students for the full year; provided school supplies to over 40 students each term; and undertook extracurricular activities. 
 
For 6 of our students who reside at the Center for Junior Boys in Yaba, we also provided full educational and welfare support (school fees, after school lessons, daily stipends, and essential supplies, such as school bags, shoes, and other materials). We also engaged in regular visits. Their journey was not always smooth and our determination to protect 3 young boys served as the driving force for the TOKAN Initiative. 
 
In February 2018, 3 young boys were unjustly remanded from their orphanage in Lekki to the Correctional Center for Boys in Oregun for misconducts which could have been properly dealt with within the orphanage. We were accused of paying attention to children who had relegated for punishment and our efforts to assist these boys at the Correctional Center led to us being barred from the orphanage indefinitely. We did not relent, instead, we continued to support and mentor these boys at the Correctional Center with weekly visits, tutoring and food donations. We also worked to obtain their release to another orphanage/institution where they would be allowed to attend regular schools. They were eventually released in March 2020, and immediately enrolled in private schools. 
 
Call to Action: These are the types of injustices we seek to address. The young boys missed out on opportunities for meaningful education. But with our intervention, we aim to ensure that they do get a chance to compete with other children while growing into positively impacting adults. 
  
Partnerships with individuals and groups have aided this Initiative and we hope you will also decide to partner with us. We truly believe that collectively we can have greater impact on the lives of more children. 
 
For more information about TOKAN Foundation or to discuss other ways you can support our work, please reach out to us via email or engage with us on social media.

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