The Executive Director of SAFIN, Mr. Femi Oyedeji, said that the training of the minors is meant to help them get back into society. He said this while he was at the training in Ilorin.
He said that with the help of the UN and UNICEF, children who were locked up in the Borstal homes but are now free are being taught how to live on their own.
He said that 60 of these kids will get the help they need to learn the skills they need to deal with life's challenges and make good decisions that will make their lives better.
Oyedeji said that the training will stop recidivism, which is when a person who has been convicted of a crime does it again.
He was sad that these kids had been bad kids in the past, smoking hard drugs, joining cults, stealing, and not going to school.
He said that this was because their parents had failed them and their homes were broken up. He also said that they didn't have the right guidance to get all the help they need.
"We make sure that no child falls behind and that their life skills and critical thinking skills give them the best chance to reach their goals."
"The projects are meant to make it easier for children in Ilorin East, West, and South Local Government Areas of the state to get access to child protection services and community-based reintegration," he said.
The expert on child protection said that the two-day training would help the kids with their mental and social health by getting them out of their shells and making sure they get along well with other people and their communities.
He said that the kids have started learning how to do different jobs, such as tailoring, art, being an electrician, and photography.
Oyedeji also said that all of the children have been signed up for the Kwara Health Insurance Schemes. This means that even though most of them come from poor families, they can get free medical care.
So, he asked the Kwara government to give more money to help solve problems with child protection services.
He thought that the state government should work more closely with civil society groups to fight against things that make society more dangerous for children.
"We want the government to build more sports facilities, especially neighbourhood games for young people, to keep them from being bored and acting badly," he said.
Oyedeji also says that these kids shouldn't stay in Borstal for more than six to nine months.
