By Nanya Nissi Vonkat and Christy Tamai
The Plateau State Government has received 40 Starlink internet kits, each with a 13-month subscription, to strengthen digital documentation and care management for vulnerable children across the state.
The kits, donated by Both Ends Believing (BEB), will support the implementation of the Children First Software (CFS), a digital platform designed to improve record-keeping, monitoring and coordination in childcare institutions.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Caroline Panglang Dafur, described the intervention as a strategic response to connectivity challenges facing childcare homes.
She stressed that accurate documentation, effective monitoring and collaboration among government agencies, development partners and orphanage operators were essential to ensuring adequate care and protection for vulnerable children.
BEB Country Manager, Mr Silas Gyang Nyam, said reliable internet access would improve the use of the CFS platform, strengthen coordination among child protection stakeholders and enhance the tracking and management of children in care.
Figures presented by BEB showed that its database covers 408 childcare institutions and 7,115 children in institutional care nationwide, alongside approximately 380 children in family-based alternative care. The figures reflect the database’s current coverage, not a comprehensive national count.
In Plateau State, the database records 34 childcare institutions, 1,183 children in institutional care and 93 children in family-based care. The parental status of 693 children remains unknown, highlighting gaps in documentation and the need for improved family tracing and case management.
Representing ASOHON National President, Reverend Dr Gabriel Oyediji, the association’s Northern Region Vice President, Mrs Sandra Chikan, welcomed the initiative on behalf of childcare homes.
She said improved digital systems would help institutions maintain accurate records, strengthen accountability and enhance coordination among organisations responsible for child welfare.
The handover ceremony was attended by officials of the Plateau State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, BEB, the Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators in Nigeria (ASOHON), the Child Protection Network (CPN) and other ministries, departments and agencies.
The initiative is expected to strengthen child protection services, support family tracing and safe reunification, and help ensure that vulnerable children receive appropriate care and protection.
