CHILDREN’S DAY 2025

VIRGIN HEART FOUNDATION CALLS FOR MORE PROTECTIVE MEASURES FOR IMO CHILDREN.

As Imo State marks Children’s Day 2025, we are once again reminded of the immense value, dreams, and potential our children carry. It is a day meant to celebrate the joy of childhood, the right to safety, education, and health, and to reaffirm our collective responsibility to nurture the next generation.

However, behind the celebrations lies a sobering reality: Imo children remain vulnerable to disease, abuse, violence, neglect, and poverty. From the classrooms to our communities, children face threats that rob them of their innocence and future. The recent Diphtheria outbreak in Imo State, which tragically claimed the lives of several young children, is a painful example of the consequences of systemic neglect and underinvestment in child health and public safety.

What makes this crisis even more tragic is that it is preventable. Yet, the lack of political will and inadequate funding for child protection systems continue to leave our children exposed. Laws meant to safeguard children such as the Child Rights Act remain unimplemented in several states. Public health infrastructure, especially in rural areas, is underfunded. And programs targeting children’s welfare are often deprioritized in budgetary decisions.

Children are not just a segment of the population; they are the very foundation of our nation’s future. Their protection should not be an option it is a moral, legal, and national obligation.

Peace Dike
Executive Director
Virgin Heart Foundation
info@virginheartfoundation.org