A non-governmental organisation, Oluwakemi Olusola Girl Child Foundation, has urged the Oyo State Government, parents and community leaders to intensify efforts to end child marriage and protect girls from abuse.
The foundation made the call during an outreach in a community in Ibadan, where 100 girls received educational materials, hygiene products and other support.
The programme, held on Sunday at Bola Mosque, off St Stephen’s Church, Ibadan, was organised in partnership with Rainbow Gateway Humanitarian Foundation and Theresa Jacob Heart Foundation, to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
The event, themed “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights,” featured medical and eye screenings, distribution of school bags and stationery, feeding, mentorship, counselling and menstrual hygiene education.
Speaking to journalists, the foundation’s founder, Oluwakemi Olusola, said the initiative, which began three years ago, evolved from a celebration into a community-based intervention addressing the needs of vulnerable girls.
She said the project had received more than N5m in contributions from individuals, adding that the organisers were committed to identifying beneficiaries who needed sustained support.
“What stands out for me is the guidance and counselling session where the girls can open up their hearts and tell us whatever it is they are going through,” Olusola said.
She explained that the foundation was seeking partnerships to provide scholarships for girls who had dropped out of school and vocational training for those interested in acquiring practical skills.
According to her, some prospective trainers had indicated interest in training selected beneficiaries, adding, however, that additional support would be needed to provide start-up assistance after the training.
Olusola urged organisations involved in education, child protection and skills development to collaborate with the foundation to reach more vulnerable girls.
Also speaking, the founder of Rainbow Gateway Humanitarian Foundation, Ebunoluwa Akinwale, said the outreach was designed to equip girls with the resources, confidence and guidance needed to pursue their ambitions.
She said the 100 beneficiaries received school bags containing stationery and other learning materials, as well as hygiene products and reusable sanitary pads.
Akinwale added that 20 teenage volunteers who had participated in the foundation’s previous programmes joined the exercise to support the beneficiaries.
She said the initiative was also aimed at addressing the longstanding discrimination that had denied many girls access to education and opportunities.
“We are trying to correct the wrong of the generation before us, when the girl child was neglected, not sent to school, equipped or inspired,” she said.
Akinwale called on parents and community members to reject child marriage and allow girls to complete their education and make informed decisions about their future.
She also cautioned families against concealing sexual abuse cases or shielding perpetrators because of family ties or societal expectations, urging victims and their relatives to seek help from relevant organisations.
The Director of Geo Meridian International, Toyin Odugbesan, said the outreach was intended to sensitise parents to the importance of educating girls and protecting them from early marriage.
She said although awareness campaigns had helped to educate communities, more government agencies, private organisations, non-governmental organisations and community stakeholders needed to participate in child protection efforts.
Odugbesan noted that inadequate data remained a challenge in determining the prevalence of abuse and other difficulties confronting girls.
She, however, observed that social media had improved awareness by providing platforms through which victims and concerned citizens could report cases and seek assistance.
Similarly, the founder of Theresa Jacob Heart Foundation, Folake Jacob, said her organisation supported the initiative with medical screenings and education on sexual health and menstrual hygiene.
Jacob said underserved communities required greater attention because children in such areas often had limited access to healthcare and other essential services.
She urged the government, individuals and private organisations to support programmes promoting girls’ education, health and personal development.
Another collaborator, Chisom Mabia, a social impact entrepreneur and founder of the Women’s Initiative for Family Entrepreneur Empowerment, said her organisation had reached about 10,000 people through training, coaching and mentorship over nine years.
Mabia identified inadequate funding as a major challenge facing organisations working to empower women and young people, urging individuals to contribute their skills and expertise.
She said teaching girls to produce reusable sanitary pads would help improve menstrual hygiene management and reduce their dependence on commercially produced products.
The organisers stressed the need for sustained collaboration and follow-up support to ensure that the beneficiaries could access further education, vocational training and other opportunities beyond the outreach.