When Hope Showed Up in Mushin

On December 23rd, 2025, just days before Christmas, JD Hands of Hope paid a visit to the Juvenile Welfare Centre in Mushin, Lagos. It was not a loud visit. There were no grand gestures or spectacles. What showed up instead was something quieter. Presence, care, and the reminder that hope often arrives gently.

Located beside the Alakara Police Station, the Juvenile Welfare Centre is a transit home for abandoned, lost, or destitute children. For years, the Centre has carried the weight of misunderstanding, often mistaken for a detention facility rather than what it truly is: a place of temporary refuge for children whose lives have been interrupted by circumstances beyond their control. As one advocate once said during an Open Day at the Centre, “Anyone’s child could end up here.” That truth lingers long after you walk through its gates.

The Centre serves children at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, from newborns abandoned at birth to teenagers navigating loss, displacement, or family breakdown. It is run by dedicated female officers and welfare workers who operate largely through community support and goodwill, with limited funding and resources. While improvements have been made over the years, the need remains constant.

Our visit this Christmas was a small gesture which reinforces a larger commitment: to stand with children and communities where support is needed most. Through shared moments, simple acts of care, and genuine human connection, we were reminded that dignity is not restored through pity, but through presence. Sometimes, the most meaningful thing you can offer is to show up, to listen, to see, and to affirm worth.

For JD Hands of Hope, this visit represents the beginning of a longer journey. Our work is rooted in the belief that education and healthcare access are not optional add-ons to childhood but they are foundational. When either is disrupted, children are often the first to feel the consequences, and the last to recover from them. Places like the Juvenile Welfare Centre sit at the intersection of these realities, quietly holding stories that rarely make headlines.

Our journey as an organization is still young, but the work has begun. We are learning, listening, and committing ourselves to thoughtful, consistent action not just during festive seasons, but beyond them. The Christmas season simply offered a moment to pause and remember why this work matters.

As we reflect on our time in Mushin, we are grateful for the resilience of the children, the dedication of the Centre’s caregivers, and the reminder that hope does not need to be loud to be powerful.

If this story resonates with you, we invite you to stand with us. Support our mission and upcoming pilot projects through GoFundMe

Together, we can carry hope further, steadily, quietly, and with intention.

From all of us at JD Hands of Hope,

Happy New Year and a year of Impact Ahead