Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
To complement the effort of the federal government in attaining the fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which harps on quality education, the Junior Chamber International (JCI), Abuja Unity has donated a block of two classrooms, learning materials and furniture to L.E.A Nomadic Primary School, Dutse Sokale, Abuja.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the 2016 President, Mr. Sylvester Oshode, said the rationale behind the intervention, which was done in collaboration with Books and GEMS Initiative, and SAM Empowerment Foundation, was to improve the standard of education at the primary school level.
He said the intervention would improve the standard of early child care education in the school, adding that the pupils of the school would graduate into the primary as better built.
“The reason behind the programme is for us to key into the SDGs goal number four which talks about quality education. We notice there are gaps of facility and learning materials in this school, we came in to do our own quota to better the lot of these children and to improve their learning condition.”
He explained that JCI identifies the community that is most disadvantaged as the main criteria used in identifying the school where the project would be carried out.
“JCI usually looks for disadvantaged communities to make her impact, we believe that these are people whose plight should be brought to the fore and we are just standing as the middlemen to bring the challenges of this school to the fore.”
Oshode revealed that other school intervention projects the organisation has embarked on this year include, planting of over 100 trees at Government Secondary School, Gwoza, Abuja.
Responding, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Chinyere Nwayawu, commended the JCI for coming to the rescue of the school at such a critical time.
“They have given us a surprise no one has given us ever since I came as headmistress in this school. It is a timely intervention because the building is about to collapse and to the glory of God they came at the nick of time, they renovated and beautified it.
“I am asking for more structures, if they can just give us a block of two classroom it will be more wonderful because some of the children are combined in one class, like primary 5 and 6 are in a class, Early Child Development Centre (ECC) and primary one are in a class and it is not supposed to be so, if they can just help us with a classroom, we will be more appreciative.”
Nwayawu said though the school had written to the appropriate quarters many times, nothing has been done despite the promise to see to its needs.
Meanwhile, the Project Supervisor, Mr. Daniel Johnson, said the renovated classroom was falling apart, adding that the inhabitable condition of the classroom spurred them into action
“What you are seeing here should be a model to every public school. We also donated instructional materials, textbooks, exercise books and furniture.”
Ogini of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; and the Osun State Commissioner of Police.
The ceremony also featured presentation of awards to brilliant students.
