Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
Former Governor Rochas Okorocha and founder of the Rochas Foundation, has revealed plans targeted at one million Africans of goodwill for supporting 10 million children’s education.
He also called on leaders, politicians and businesspeople at all levels to sponsor less privileged children in schools to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Africa to the barest minimum.
Okorocha disclosed at the formal launch of an initiative christened Teach a Child/Sponsor a Child Project (TAC-SAC) organised by the Rochas Okorocha Foundation in Abuja.
According to him, if politicians and well-do-to individuals support sponsoring children to schools, the number of out-of-school children will be reduced drastically.
“We have over 200 million people in Nigeria. Out of this figure, we can one million people who can comfortably afford to teach a child or sponsor their education.
“Our target is to get one million people in Africa who can take 10 children each in any of the African countries. If Rochas Foundation can take over 25,000 children, we can collectively take care of 20 million children who are out of school,” said the senator.
Okorocha added, “Now, if you ask every one of these people, including members of the National Assembly, politicians and businessmen, to come together one million of us and take only 20 children each and sponsor their education, we will take 20 million children back to school immediately.”
The Director-General of the foundation, Miss Uchechi Rochas, noted that with the unveiling of the TAC-SAC initiative, well-meaning individuals would be expected to get involved to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria and Africa drastically at large.
“As a nation, we have lost the spirit of volunteerism which has brought about 13.5 million children not to be in school,” she stated.
