Everything we seek to achieve at House of Mercy Children’s Home, Lagos, Nigeria (HOM) is driven by our main objective which is to directly improve the lives of the children for whom we provide the services. We are committed to ensuring that the best interests and protection of the child are placed before all other considerations.
We focus our efforts in five key areas:
- Child hunger through distribution of free nutritious meals
- Education through school sponsorship including girls’ empowerment and literacy projects
- Child homelessness through our family-based residential children’s home
- Family Preservation and Reunification
- Child Advocacy and Child Protection
Within the limits of available resources, we also participate in Emergency Aid programmes to children in crisis across Africa. Our vision is of a prosperous and peaceful African continent where every child lives in safety and dignity and is enabled to reach his or her full potential – African Renaissance.
We consider it a priority to contribute to a general awareness of disability issues in order to reduce the stigma surrounding children with disabilities. A video of our Disability Awareness Programme is available on YouTube and in our Video Gallery. We strive to be advocates for needy, vulnerable and marginalised children as well as a voice for the voiceless.
Mental health conditions among children and young people, particularly those in vulnerable communities are rapidly becoming more pervasive and more urgent. Unfortunately, most people do not have access to the resources they need when they need help. In 2020, we attempted to address these challenges by compiling a comprehensive list of resources that can help gain a better understanding of Mental Health and Wellness. The video on Mental Health and Wellness Resources for Children, Youth and Adults is available on our YouTube channel. It is our hope that mental health will be given the attention it deserves alongside physical health.
HOM is a “Character First, Skills Second” organisation believing that who a person is, is more important than what a person can do. Staffing is considered carefully because we aim to attract and retain people of good character who demonstrate integrity both at the workplace and in their personal lives. We understand that actions and attitudes speak louder than words and that a well-spoken word of encouragement or correction can change a child’s life-course forever.
We treat all the children we serve with respect. We believe that child poverty is not a choice and that needy, vulnerable and marginalised children should not be taken advantage of.
We take our responsibility to promote child-safe practices and protect children from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation in any form seriously.
Our child protection policies and procedures are in place to ensure children are respected, protected, empowered and active in their own protection and staff members are skilled, confident, competent and well supported in meeting their protection responsibilities.
HOM is a member of the Child Protection Network, Alimosho Local Government, Lagos State Chapter.