Group concludes first phase of ‘Girl Child & Boy Education Project’ in Cross River

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A Nigerian-based not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) has concluded the primary phase of its educational intervention project in Cross River NEGROIDHAVEN has garnered.

Val Orphanage and Educational Foundation, a pet project of Valerie Osuake Omini (nee Valerie Eyoma Asuquo) embarked on the Girl Child & Boy Education Project in Cross River with emphasis, at this primary phase, on two local government areas of Odukpani and Yakurr LGAs.

The two days event which took place in four primary schools, with three in Odukpani and one in Ekori community in Yakurr LGA between 21st and 22nd March 2023, saw the project impacting over 400 pupils according to estimates.

In Odukpani, the project saw the distribution of over 295 pairs of sandals to indigent and orphaned pupils (who came to school barefooted and/or with tattered shoe wears) in three primary schools, namely, St. Patrick Primary School, Adiabo Ikot Ndo; Government Primary School, Akim Akim; and St. Theresa Primary School, Odukpani all in Odukpani local government areas (LGAs), including the distribution of such writing materials as exercise book, eraser, pen, and sharpener to over 250 benefiary-pupils.

In Ekori community, ‘our humanitarian intervention took us to the Government Migrant Primary School, Ekori Beach, Yakurr LGA where we rendered financial assistance to 100 recipient pupils of the school. The services included paying of three terms school fees, First School Leaving Certificate, FSLC Examination Fees, donating of writing materials etc to indigent pupils in this rural communities’, Valerie Osuake Omini the founder of the foundation disclosed.

When asked what inspired her embarking on this educational intervention, Omini explained that she embarked on the project the Girl child and Boy Education to encourage both gender to get equitable education and equality in the learning process.

‘I embarked on it in mostly the rural area of Cross River State because most poor people live in the rural areas and they are faced with alot of challenges such as unemployment, high level of illiteracy, extreme poverty, poor infrastructures and low social interaction. The project is aimed at encouraging the parents and pupils to get basic education’, Omini who was represented by Efio-Ita Nyok said.

While reacting to the gesture by the foundation, the head teacher of St. Patrick Primary School, Adiabo Ikot Ndo, Odukpani, Evang. Augustina Effiong Ita who expressed gratitude observed that the pupils who are largely indigent homes will be positively impacted. She explained that ‘in fact, what you have just done today, the children who are not in school today will regret ever staying away from school, you know children being who they are, they will feel you will keep on coming, the turn out from tomorrow will be impressive, some of them will not want to stay back from school again.’

On his part, Mr Ofor Itam Bassey the headteacher of Government Migrant Primary School, Ekori Beach, admitted that it is difficult for majority of parents of wards to pay school fees. According to him, the gesture by the foundation ‘is very very impactful, you see the smiles on the faces of the parents, they are very happy’.

It was learnt that the second phase of the foundation’s educational intervention will be at Akpabuyo and Bakassi LGAs until every school in all the 18 LGAs of the state are impacted.

 

 

EDITORIAL

This story amongst others are reviewed on Sparkling 92.3FM http://mixlr.com/sparkling923fm–2 and FAD 93.1FM. Again, opinions expressed on NegroidHaven are exclusively the author’s not NH’s.