Toria-Rock Outreach Programs

Everything we do in our Outreach work is rooted in the belief that by journeying alongside children and young people and by building their self-esteem and empowering them to take ownership of their own lives, lasting change can be achieved. We engage children and young people while they are on the street, building relationships with them based on trust that enables our workers to understand their needs. We believe these young people should be safe, protected and have full access to their rights.

Street Work

We support children and young people whilst they are living and/or working on the street and on dumpsites daily; we build relationships with them so that they begin to trust our team of Street Workers and Social Workers and have someone they can turn to. Our team are their only trusted adults in an emergency or when they need support.

Respite

We offer children and young people respite from the daily challenges of street life at our Drop In Centre; giving access to safe spaces to play sports, take part in creative arts sessions, education sessions for those who want to return to school and those who want to learn to read and write. Clean water for washing and drinking, a hot nutritious meal, counselling sessions where children and young people can begin to think, if they choose, about a life away from the streets.

Our Outreach Programs

Toria Rock Children

Toria-Rock has supports young people off the street who have little or no other option but to work with Toria Rock as other organisations are reluctant to work with anyone over the age of 12 as they are too challenging. We began to meet a need that was not being met, and we continue to be the only organisation that supports young people living on the streets, off the streets and into education, employment and training. We use individual and preventative care plans and journey with the young people we work with to meet all their needs and address the underlying trauma that pushed them to the streets. Successes include children returning to formal education or entering formal employment. Young people will be trained in various occupations.

Education

Toria Rock Education Programme works with children and young people living on the streets, on dumpsites and in our community whether they are in school or not. Our holistic approach means that we offer children and young people educational support at the level that suits them whether that is formal or informal. Teachers assess a child or young person’s level and academic aims and place them in the appropriate groups. Some children and young people hope they will return to formal education, so our Teachers will work with them to bring them up to a standard that means they are able to return to school. As with all Toria Rock work, we journey with children and young people to support them to achieve their educational goals.

Advocacy

Toria Rock is committed advocating for the rights of homeless children and young people at a local, national and international level. At a local level we aim to change the experiences that children and young people endure within the Criminal Justice System; we are lobbying local and national government to prevent children being persecuted and arrested for the ‘crime’ of being homeless, ensuring they have legal representation after arrest, and stop incarceration without sentence.

Sport

Sport will be at the heart of Toria Rock work. We will use the power of sport daily on the streets, in the community across all our Programmes. Soccer has been used as a tool for engagement with the children and young people we will support and lunch as first programme. Toria Rock will create opportunities for young people to leave the street and move into meaningful employment in various fields. Whilst Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Boxing and Golf will our core sporting programmes we are always looking for other sporting activities to introduce the children and young people we support.

Juvenile Justice

We support homeless children and young people who are arrested and / or detained in Nigeria and other children and young people who are imprisoned in Nigeria. We provide Care Packs for children and young people in Juvenile and Adult Prisons to increase their dignity and have access to basic provisions including toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and loo roll and for girls and young women, we deliver sanitary towels.