A Corps Member With a Difference

Fri, Feb 1, 2013
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Education

Raphael Ejime, a youth corps member, makes the National Youths Service Corps proud by donating books and desks to the school where he does his primary assignment

|  By Anayo Ezugwu  |  Feb. 11, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT

Oluvbo Iweze
Oluvbo Iweze

RAPHAEL Chukwuka Ejime, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, currently serving at Gbagada Girls’ Junior Secondary School, Gbagada, Lagos State, believes that educating the Nigerian child is the collective responsibility of everyone. Instead of being an armchair critic of the falling standard of education and appalling facilities in the schools, he has decided to support the system by contributing his quota.

On January 23, Ejime donated exercise books and 10 classroom desks to Gbagada Girls’ Junior Secondary School, Lagos, as part of his community development service. Some senior officials of the NYSC, the media representatives and the school authorities witnessed the donation. Ejime was grateful to all those who helped him in one way or the other in making the project realisable. “I thank all those who supported me financially and morally and mostly the school authorities and my students for their support,” he said.

Commenting on the effort of Ejime, Oluvbo Iweze, principal of the school, said the donation would help in reducing the burden the students are facing in their respective classes. She also praised the corps member for his contribution to the school. “It is a thing of joy when we have compassionate and committed young people who are willing to give up themselves and make sacrifices in life. I resumed here as the new principal this term and one of the things handed over to me by the former principal had to do with the activities of this corps member. I was told that even last year he had an art and craft exhibition which was publicised by the print and broadcast media. And here we are again with this gentleman who sees a little gap in the system and has decided to contribute his own quota,” she said.

Ejime with the Students
Ejime with the Students

Iweze said this was the first time this kind of gesture would come to the school under her administration. She said that the former principal had recommended the corps member to her in a letter in which Ejime had been described as “a go-getter, a hard worker, a focused gentleman and I think I’m quite pleased with what I’m seeing here today.”

Besides, Iweze called on other corps members in the school to emulate Ejime and always impact on the lives of people around them. She also called on corporate organisations and other well-meaning Nigerians to see education as a corporate effort in which everybody should be involved in order to improve its standard in the country.

Adenire Adeyemi, NYSC Lagos State Coordinator, represented by Ajayi Ige, an officer of the corps, also described Ejime as an exceptional corps member. “This is the second time you are bringing us to this school, you have, indeed, proved that you are a true ambassador of the NYSC and I wish you the best in all your future endeavours, Adeyemi said.

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