How a Corps Member Brought Hope to Ahoada West LGA’s Margins and won NYSC Honours

By Tosin Clegg

Ms. Omolola Odunsi defied terrain and tradition to teach secondary school children in remote villages, earning the Best Female Corps Member award in Ahoada West.
By Josephine Adigwe | The Nation Reporter | November 24, 2009
Armed with chalk, courage, and a fierce commitment to education, Ms. Omolola Odunsi a 2008 Batch C corps member, embarked on a journey that would take her beyond the classroom and into the heart of Rivers State’s riverine villages. Navigating creeks by boat and traversing rugged roads on motorcycles, she brought math and science lessons to underserved communities. Her selfless work earned her the title of Best Female Corps Member in Ahoada West Local Government Area, formally presented by Mr. Miller Awori, the Local Government Chairman of Ahoada West during the send forth party organized by the local government for the Batch C 2008 Corps members on Saturday 14th November 2009.
Background of the Award:
The Best Corps Member Award is conferred annually by the NYSC local authority to recognize corps members whose projects reflect excellence in national service and community development. Only one female and one male corps member are selected from a pool of over a hundred serving members in each local government area, making the award highly competitive. According to UNICEF, over 10.5 million Nigerian children are out of school, particularly in remote communities. Ms. Omolola’s grassroots education outreach directly addressed this national crisis.

The selection process for the award is rigorous and merit-based, involving nominations from community stakeholders, peer reviews, and final evaluations conducted by NYSC zonal coordinators and education specialists. In Omolola’s case, her impact was considered exceptional by the panel of adjudicators, which included state-level evaluators with expertise in rural education and development. The award reflects national-level recognition, consistent with the NYSC’s mandate to promote exemplary service and civic contribution.

Her Contributions and Impact (Refocused to Highlight Individual vs Collective STEM Expansion):
Posted to teach Mathematics and Physics at Community High School Akinima in Port Harcourt from November 20, 2008, to November 19, 2009 (code: RV/08C/527), Ms. Omolola Odunsi quickly distinguished herself through her deep commitment to science education. Beyond fulfilling her primary assignment, she initiated after-school tutorials to help students struggling with Mathematics and Physics, employing practical exercises and contextual learning strategies to improve academic outcomes. Her lessons emphasized analytical thinking and foundational scientific reasoning skills critical to both subjects.

However, recognizing that her students and particularly those in rural areas needed exposure to a broader range of scientific knowledge, she began laying the foundation for a community centered STEM education initiative. Understanding that the challenge of STEM literacy extended beyond her own specialization, she mobilized and coordinated fellow corps members with expertise in other STEM disciplines, including Biology, Chemistry, Agricultural Science, and Computer Studies. Together, this team conducted outreach sessions in interior villages, transforming local churches and open-air community centers into informal learning spaces. While Ms. Omolola continued to lead sessions in Mathematics and Physics, her peers introduced students to complementary subjects such as environmental science, health education, and hands on science experiments using locally sourced materials. These sessions helped rural students gain foundational awareness of the interconnected STEM fields many for the first time.
Her initiative turned into a collaborative educational movement, extending the reach of STEM learning far beyond the classroom, and providing a model for corps-led innovation in underserved communities.

Advocacy for Girls and Community Mobilization (Clarified Role in Gender Inclusion and STEM Coordination):
Ms. Omolola’s most profound contribution lay in her gender-sensitive approach to STEM access. In regions where traditional expectations often deprived girls of formal education, she saw a dual mission: to educate and to advocate. She engaged with parents and community elders, challenging cultural norms and advocating for the right of girls to pursue education especially in science and technology. Determined to make STEM inclusive, she ensured that female students were actively encouraged and supported during every outreach. She promoted female participation in science workshops, made extra efforts to follow up with parents of girls showing interest, and provided donated materials such as notebooks, sanitary kits, and writing tools to remove financial and social barriers to learning.

To scale her efforts, she organized corps members into volunteer teams who specialized in different STEM areas. On Community Development Service(CDS) days, these teams travelled by boat, motorcycle, and on foot to remote and educationally underserved communities. They delivered science kits, held group tutorials, ran interactive experiments, and hosted talks about career possibilities in science and technology, with a strong emphasis on female role models in STEM. Through her leadership, CDS days became more than community service; they became STEM empowerment days, especially for girls who had never before imagined themselves as scientists, engineers, or innovators.

Commendations from Officials and the Community:
During the award ceremony, Mr. Miller Awori, the Local Government Chairman for Ahoada West, praised her efforts:
“Omolola didn’t just serve. She transformed. Her work is a blueprint for the kind of youth leadership Nigeria urgently needs.”
Rev J.B Adepetu of Baptist church Akinima , said:
“Before her, no teacher had ever crossed the river to teach our children. She came without expecting anything and gave us hope. Our daughters now go to school.”

Personal Reflection from the Awardee:
Grateful and visibly moved, Ms.Omolola reflected on the experience:
“There were days we travelled in the rain or on flooded paths just to reach a church filled with eager children. But each child who now says they want to be an engineer or teacher is the true reward.”

Legacy and Broader Relevance:
Though her NYSC service concluded in 2009, Ms. Omolola’s legacy remains alive. Community High School Akinima has integrated structured after-school lessons, and in the villages she served, informal learning centres have been established. Her model of community-led corps outreach is now being considered by NYSC stakeholders in Rivers and Bayelsa for state-wide replication.

Conclusion:
In a country where millions of children particularly girls remain out of school, Ms. Omolola Odunsi’s story is a national testament to what visionary service can achieve. Her award is more than personal recognition; it is a call for continued investment in youth-led solutions to Nigeria’s educational challenges.