Entrepreneur Laide Lanre-Badmus has joined the forces against the menace of sexual issues across Africa launching the Laide Lanre-Badmus (BBL) Foundation Africa.
Lanre-Badmus, who said that she was sexually abused at the age of 13 by a man who was supposed to be her guardian, ascribed her personal experience to what propelled the launching of the foundation.
“This foundation has been a long-term passion for me to help build emotional stability in emotionally broken children (boy and girl) with childhood dysfunctions just like me. As a young girl who was sexually abused at the age of 13 by a man who was supposed to be her guardian or, better still, a father figure, no one else qualifies more to have such a foundation than myself,” she said.
She noted that the sole purpose of the LLB Foundation is to offer sexually abused victims the opportunity to vent and heal “as a lot of them are carrying this baggage and have become very bitter and revengeful.
“For some, we will pursue justice, so they won’t have to wait till they are comfortable enough like I waited till it became too late to get justice because my abuser died before I could fight for myself. For some, it will be just therapy sessions and the healing process.
“As our tagline says, “every child is a priority” stems from the belief that only the girl child can be abused, in our case, we are looking out for both the girl and the boy child. It will be shocking to note that the number of boys being abused is just slightly lower than the number of girls being abused. This means boys are constantly abused as well.”
Lanre-Badmus called on the government to enact strong laws aimed at protecting young boys and girls against rape and changing societal attitudes towards survivors while punishing perpetrators of the dastardly act.
She then called on UNICEF and the UN to create the International Day of the Boy Child, just like the October 11 yearly celebration of the Girl Child, to focus more on the boy child.
The LLB boss revealed that the foundation’s operation will span the length and breadth of Nigeria and gradually spread to other African countries, saying, “Our vision is big, and we are ready to pursue it vigorously and, of course, with the support of well-meaning Nigerians, Africans, and global citizens.”
