By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA — A modeling firm, Diamond Modeling Agency, DMA Nigeria, has vowed to sanitise the modeling industry with right perception based on character moulding courses and advocacy.

This was stated by the Manager, DMA Nigeria, Prince Thomas, during his visit with some models to children at the City of Refuge Orphanage, Abuja, to spend time with them and also splashed assorted food items and clothing on them as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

According to Thomas the company was established to redefine and sanitise the modeling industry, which some vices have dented its image due to some immoral lifestyles portrayed by some of the models over the years.   He said: “DMA Nigeria is a modeling company that grooms, trains models to a professional standard. Looking at how the industry is there you see corruption and immorality going on in the industry is not really encouraging. We are looking at a way to eradicate it through our TV programme that is coming up soon, which is called ‘Next Model To Stardom’ reality TV show.

“We want to change the mentality of some models and give them positive orientation about the industry that models are not prostitutes but are public figures that will impact in the society at large.

•Some models with the children at the City of Refuge Orphanage, Abuja

Fears for the industry

“We also want to enlighten parents and guardians about models, which they don’t encourage their daughters to take up the career, and as a result these models go into the industry without the consent their parents or guardians because of their feelings and fears for the industry.

“With this our TV reality project and programme I believe that some parents would be convinced modeling should be taken as a profession in Nigeria and on how to make it blend with other profession.

“We are working on a platform where models will have monthly seminars on different aspects of life, personal development, we introduce courses like advance personal development, we tell them about the modeling ethics and if properly studied is far different from what is happening in the industry, where people go into prostitution, human trafficking, and we discourage such vices in our company, and encourage them acquire education.”

Meanwhile, Thomas, explained why they came to deliver the items to children and management of the orphanage, and said children in orphanages deserve love and care from citizens like them. Thomas further stated that children in the orphanages are unique and intelligent who have the potentials to move the nation forward, and should be treated well as other children, who are to be adequately protected by all.

He said: “We are here to be part of City of Refuge Orphanage, where the children are well taken care of, but we want to support them with this token as part of our social responsibility in reaching and touching lives, particularly these children who some people describe as less privileged and unfortunate.

“We love to see them grow and will continue to support them. It is everybody’s duty to take care of them with whatever little thing you have and not until you have all things before you come here to give. We see them as future leaders and we also want to be part of their history when they grow up to tell the story.

“We have come to give them cloths and these food items as part of our support despite their parents are not by them and also for them to have a sense of belonging.”

Meanwhile, he said they will continue the visit to other orphanages in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and give them their food items and clothing.