By Friday Idachaba
Philanthropists and development agencies have been urged to rechannel and scale up their support for public schools and education of the children of the poor and less privileged in the society.
Miss Victory Samuel, Founder and President of “Tory’s Care Foundation” made the call when she led members of the foundation to donate writing materials to pupils of Sabongari I and II Nursery and Primary Schools in Lokoja.
Samuel who is also a 400-level History and International Studies student of the Federal University, Lokoja (FUL) said quality of human infrastructure would continue to dwindle as long as public schools are neglected.
The Foundation President regretted the neglect of public schools with high enrollment of children of the poor and less privileged and urged government to prioritise the needs of pupils and students in such schools.
She said that the Foundation was in the two schools to support the pupils who were mostly children of the less privileged with exercise books adding, “We are here to give our own little form of care and support for the education of the children.
“We giving 200 each to Sabongari I and Sabongari II. In all, we are giving 400 exercise books as our own little way of showing that we care. This is our fourth outreach and we are doing this as part of programmes to mark our one year anniversary.
“Today is actually one year anniversary of Tory’s Care Foundation. We are driven by love and passion for humanity, reaching to people and showing that we care for children, in particular
This time around, we decided to have an educational outreach. Our previous outreach were visits to orphanage homes and giving food items to over 100 children on the streets at Paparanda Square area of Lokoja.”, she said.
Responding on behalf of the school management and students, Mrs Naomi Ogwuche, Assistant Headmistress, Sabongari II Primary School, Lokoja thanked God for for laying it on the hearts of the donors to assist the children.
“They came up at the time of need for the children because we have discovered that the children are willing to study and be imparted but they lack writing materials.
“Many of their parents find it difficult to afford the writing materials. The coming of Tory’s Care Foundation is a big relief for us, making the job easier for us.
“So, we pray that God will continue to strengthen them and make them to continue to remember us. What they do this afternoon will go extra mile in relieving the parents and address our frustrations as teachers.
“We pray that the jar from which this funds were taken from will never run dry as the Lord will continue to replenished and increase them a hundred fold”, Ogwuche said.
Two pupils, Rashidat Hassan, Primary Five and Ibrahim Mukhtar, primary two, expressed their gratitude to the Foundation for the exercise books gifts and for counting their schools worthy of the gesture.(Ends)