By Prisca Sam-Duru

Produced by a Catholic missionary organisation known as Salesians of Don Bosco, ‘The Oratory’, a movie which has raised awareness amongst key stakeholders on the issue of internally displaced children throughout Nigeria, was screened again on Saturday, August 20, 2022 in Lagos.

The screening serves as fundraiser to enable the campaign to rescue needy children from the streets yield the desired impact. It took place at the Genesis Cinemas, Lagos, and comes after the movie’s earlier successful tour of Nigeria, Dublin, London, Turin and Venice since its release last year.

‘The Oratory’, which premiered in 2021, is a globally acclaimed movie that was filmed at various locations in Rome, Atlanta and Lagos. It features Nigerian and international movie stars such as Eyinna Nwigwe, Rich Lowe, Celeste Marcone, Shane Guilbeau, Florence Okechukwu, Lawrence Nwali, among others, and directed by Obi Emelonye. The Executive Producer of the Movie, Dr Cyril Odia, is a Nigerian priest of the Order of St Don Bosco presently serving in Dublin, Ireland. He previously worked with the support of the United Nations Mission in Sudan(UNMIS) in providing food and education with the Salesian mission in Tonj and Juba.

Chairman of the organizing committee of ‘The Oratory’ movie special screening, Gbenga Adebija, who spoke earlier during a press conference in Lagos, said the screening is a special edition that will witness a large turnout of needy children and dignitaries.  According to him, “The Oratory is not just a movie, it is actually an integral aspect of a broader multi-dimensional initiative which Dr Odia and his fellow Salesians are passionately committed to bringing to fruition. The Oratory is not the destination, it is a milestone on the journey. The end game is to create an inclusionary framework for the upliftment of homeless, delinquent and juvenile youths who are at risk of negative societal situations such as violence, sexual abuse, trafficking and crime”.

“On a personal level, The Oratory reminds us individually of our civic responsibilities towards internally displaced children and the imperative to support current and future initiatives to ameliorate this situation as best as we can”, he added.

The Coordinator, Don Bosco Child Protection Centre, Fr. Linus Nkemjinaka, known as the Priest on the street, maintained that the fact that every child needs a better home, is reason the Centre supports needy children to discover and nurture their potential, and thereafter, be reintegrated back to the society.

His words, “Our society shouldn’t kill the talent of the children, and that is why we search for them and make them realize how important their existence is to society. Our society can never do without the children”.

Nollywood A-lister, Eyinna Nwigwe, the lead actor (Sugar), called for more collaborations and support to ensure the movie achieves its objective. Nwigwe enjoined the media both within and outside the country to help create more awareness to promote the movie so that the Salesians of Don Bosco can sustain the campaign to take children off the streets.

Director of the project and development officer, Maximus Okoro revealed that over 15 children in need have been re-integrated since January 2022, adding that the team is ready to collaborate with states for the purpose of reintegrating more children in need back to the society.

The Executive Producer of The Oratory, Fr Cyril Odia, while disclosing the progress recorded by the Centre since the release of the movie, noted that people are committed to supporting the movement because they believe that something very urgent needs to be done to curtail the constant increase in the number of children on the streets. “It’s a national embarrassment”, he stated adding that, “We are seriously studying the Nigerian youth situation, election is coming, there’s need to motivate the youth to have faith”. He further pointed out that there was no use preaching to children on empty stomach which is reason the organisation is committed to its mandate of restoring their lives.