THE LESS PRIVILEGED CHILDREN (LPC)

THE LESS PRIVILEGED CHILDREN (LPC)

The World Health Organisation [WHO] classified orphans and vulnerable children in 2005 into the following;

  • Children who have lost their parents
  • Children who are separated from both parents
  • Children who are living with caregivers with challenging health problems, disabilities, abusive behaviours, or addictions.
  • Children living with their parents but whose parents are unable to give them the proper needs for adequate upbringing.

United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS [UNAIDs] regards orphans and vulnerable (OVC) as children under the age of 18 whose both parents or any one of the parents have died as a result of AIDS [UN,2004]

THE LESS PRIVILEGED CHILDREN (LPC)

In 2005, United States Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief by PEPFAR defined OVCs as children below the age of 17 who are either orphaned or vulnerable due to HIV and AIDS. Vulnerable children according to PEPFAR are those living in high-risk environment, and whose plan for great future and development become seriously truncated. Children are vulnerable if they are affected by HIV, inadequate adult support, living away from family care, or marginalised/discriminated against.

LPC SITUATION IN NIGERIA

Based on the prevalent circumstances in Nigeria, we will define less privileged children somewhat differently. According to IFCN, less privileged children are children who lack the basic privileges they deserve for growth. These privileges affect children at various levels in the country. In addition to the classes listed by WHO, UNAIDS and PEPFAR, Ifeed Charity Network (IFCN) classifies LPC into the following:

  • Children who lost their parents at a very young age but has no one else to take care of them.
  • Children living in orphanages
  • Children living in modernist homes
  • Children found in the streets living under bridges
  • Children hawking in the street.
  • Children living with caregivers away from families.
  • Children abandoned by parents and homes.
  • Children rejected by families and accused of witchcraft and wizardry.
  • Children living with parents that has no jobs nor funds to cater for them.
  • Children who are out of school due to lack of support
  • Children who are malnourished even in their own homes due to food insecurity.
  • Children who suffer disabilities of any kind.
  • Children whose parents can't afford hospital bills.
  • Newborn babies abandoned in the street and bushes as a result of unwanted pregnancies.
  • Children living with parents who are addicted to drugs and hard substances.
  • Children whose parents cannot afford early education.
  • Children living with parents and caregivers suffering terminal illnesses.
  • Children living with frail grandparents.
  • Children living with HIV AIDS
  • Child sex workers

STATISTICS OF LPC

UNICEF recorded about 1 billion children who are multidimensionally poor and lacking the necessities in terms of nutrition and water in 2015. 151 million children were estimated to have lost either of their parents. A total number of 570 million children live below the poverty line of 1:25 dollar per day.

In Africa 2.3million children below the age of 15, lived with HIV and over half of the world’s out-of-school children (33 million) live in Africa (UNICEF data; Children in Africa, 2015).

In Nigeria, the number of OVC/LPC was estimated at 17.5million as of 2010 by the Nigerian Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. 7.3million of this number are orphaned by HIV/AIDS. If by UNICEF estimation of 880 children becoming infected by HIV daily, it means the number of orphaned children in Nigeria currently, 2022 would be an incredible figure. This is only from HIV/AIDS. Yet, there are various other categories of less privileged children in the country.

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