NGO Sensitises Schools on Funding Quality Education Delivery

Hamid Ayodeji

Call to Love Initiative, a non-profit organisation has sensitized low cost schools on strategies and skills to improve quality of education given to their students.

According to the NGO, the move was generated as a result of the feedback they received from low cost school owners and teachers about requiring funding to provide facilities needed to enhance the learning process of their students.

The Founder, Call To Love Initiative, Omowunmi Ajila, speaking recently in Lagos said they are glad to know that the Lagos state government through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund has a dedicated fund for low cost schools, whereby they can access loans as high as five million naira in order to improve their school facilities

“This forum is aimed at appreciating low cost school owners and teachers for their efforts in terms of impacting knowledge and skills to the children and also to sensitise them about the available funds provided by the Lagos state government through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.

“We employ a targeted approach of interaction with our beneficiaries and delivery of projects that drive lasting solutions and contribute positively to transforming the development of our target audience. Our mission is to enrich lives through social development and our target audience is pupils from low cost schools and orphanages.

“We are trying to ensure students in low cost schools can compete equally with more privileged students from high cost schools. Our vision is to also raise a pipeline of beneficiaries that can pave forward in the nearest future,” Ajila said.

In his remarks, Head Micro Enterprise and Micro Enterprise Startup, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Funsho Ogunlumade said, “We have partnered with Call To Love Initiative by providing access to finances to low cost schools within Lagos state.

“The fund is for the low cost schools operating in Lagos as one of our missions is to create employment opportunities and create wealth for residents of Lagos.

“You cannot underrate the role of the educational sector in building a credible society which is why we have partnered with Call To Love Initiative to come to the grass root to engage the low cost schools to enlighten them on how to access funds that are available.

“This initiative is inline with our mission to create employment opportunities for residents of Lagos state. We have also partnered with First Bank and Edfin Microfinance bank to disburse the loans to the school owners.”

On his part, Head, Community Banking Unit, First Bank, Akinwande Meadows said, “We have partnered with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund to support schools in Lagos to reduce the negative impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on the educational sector.

“In regards to eligibility of the loans the school must be registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission and must have been operating for at least a year. The school must have evidence of tax payment.

“We also require that the school or training centre should have at least a minimum of fifty students. Also, the provision of guarantors is required. In regards to the tenure of the loans, we have the twelve months and twenty four months duration.”