The Plateau State Government has received 40 Starlink internet kits donated by Both Ends Believing (BEB), with support from SpaceX, to improve internet connectivity and strengthen the documentation and management of children in care institutions across the state.
Each kit comes with a 13-month sponsored internet subscription and is expected to enhance the use of Children First Software (CFS), a digital database designed to help child care institutions maintain accurate records and monitor the welfare of vulnerable children.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony, Silas Gyang Nyam, Country Manager of Both Ends Believing, said the donation would address connectivity challenges facing children’s homes and improve coordination among government agencies, care institutions and child protection partners.
Nyam disclosed that BEB’s national database currently contains records of 408 child care institutions and 7,115 children in institutional care, alongside approximately 380 children in family-based alternative care.
In Plateau State, he said the database covers 34 child care institutions, with 1,183 children profiled in institutional care and 93 children recorded in family-based care.
He, however, revealed that the parental status of 693 children in the state’s database remains unknown, underscoring the need for improved documentation, family tracing and case management to establish their family connections and identify safe family-based care options.
According to him, unreliable internet access has made it difficult for some children’s homes to consistently update records on the Children First Software, which provides authorised users with real-time information to support decisions concerning children’s welfare.
He explained that the Starlink kits would enable selected homes to maintain timely records, improve case management and strengthen coordination between children’s homes, government agencies and child protection organisations.
“Our vision is simple: One Child, One Record, Everyone Accountable,” Nyam said, stressing that every child deserves to be properly documented and protected.
He added that although institutional care may be necessary in certain circumstances, children generally thrive in safe, stable and nurturing family environments.
Nyam also emphasised the importance of protecting children’s personal information through appropriate confidentiality and safeguarding measures.
In her remarks, the Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Caroline Panglang Dafur, commended BEB and SpaceX for the donation, describing it as a strategic intervention to address connectivity challenges and strengthen digital documentation in child care institutions.
Dafur assured the donors that the state government would ensure the kits were deployed strictly to approved homes for Children First Software documentation, with no diversion of the equipment.
She further pledged that the ministry would monitor the installation and use of the kits in collaboration with BEB, the Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators in Nigeria (ASOHON) and the Child Protection Network (CPN).
The commissioner also assured that strict confidentiality and child safeguarding protocols would be maintained in handling children’s data.
She added that the government would work towards sustaining internet connectivity beyond the 13-month subscription period.
Dafur formally accepted the 40 Starlink kits on behalf of the Plateau State Government and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to ensuring that no child is overlooked.
Meanwhile, Sandra Chikan, who represented the National President of the Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators in Nigeria, Reverend Dr. Gabriel Oyediji, described the donation as a pathway towards reuniting children in institutional care with their families.
Chikan conveyed greetings from the national president, who was unable to attend the ceremony following the death of his brother. She also extended greetings from members of the association’s Board of Trustees.
She said the donation went beyond providing internet connectivity, describing it as a significant step towards helping vulnerable children reconnect with their families.
“On behalf of ASOHON, I want to say directly to Both Ends Believing that you did not just bring technology into our orphanages and homes today, but you brought a direct pathway to family,” she said.
Chikan explained that although children’s homes had embraced the Children First Software, poor network connectivity across Plateau State had delayed data uploads, stalled some case reviews and slowed family reunification efforts.
She noted that the provision of Starlink satellite internet would remove these digital barriers and enable children’s homes to manage cases and update records more efficiently.
According to her, the partnership between BEB, SpaceX and the Plateau State Government would strengthen child welfare reforms and support the implementation of alternative care guidelines.
She commended Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, Commissioner Caroline Panglang Dafur and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for their commitment to improving the welfare of vulnerable children.
Chikan described Plateau State as a model for child welfare reform, noting that its collaboration with development partners demonstrated the importance of political will and coordinated efforts in protecting children.
She expressed optimism that improved connectivity would enhance case management, family tracing and reviews, while accelerating the transition of children from institutional care to permanent family environments.
Chikan further assured the partners that ASOHON regarded the equipment as a responsibility and would encourage beneficiary homes to use it in the best interests of the children.
She urged all participating institutions to prioritise children’s welfare and work towards ensuring that more children are reunited with safe, stable and nurturing families.
Also speaking, Jacob Ogaba Onmonya, Director of Nashiah Care Initiative and Secretary of ASOHON, Plateau State Chapter, expressed appreciation to BEB, SpaceX and the state government for the intervention.
Onmonya said the internet infrastructure would strengthen the work of children’s homes by supporting proper documentation, child protection and effective case management.
He assured the partners that registered homes in the state would put the equipment to effective use to improve the welfare of children under their care.
The initiative is expected to strengthen collaboration among child care institutions, government agencies and child protection organisations while improving the quality of information available for decisions concerning vulnerable children.
Both Ends Believing reiterated that the success of the initiative would ultimately be measured not by the number of kits distributed or records entered into the database, but by improvements in children’s safety, welfare and access to safe, supportive family environments.
