Education
AN NGO, Iko-Josh Empowerment Foundation (I-JEF), on Monday offered scholarships to overall best children in its just concluded free summer lessons for vulnerable primary and junior secondary school children.
During the lesson which lasted for six weeks, the children, about 100 in both categories, also received free education materials.
A 12-year old JSS 2 student, Miss Susan Nicholas and eight-year old Primary 4 pupil, Miss Amina Suffiyau, won the overall best in the secondary and primary categories.
Aside the scholarship, consolation prices were given to the 2nd and 3rd positions in both categories and children who distinguished themselves during the programme.
During the award presentation at Lokongoma Primary School Lokoja, the Executive Director of I-JEF, Mr Reuben Joshua, congratulated the scholars for making their parents and the foundation proud.
He said the initiative was prompted by the foundation’s desire to bridge the wide gap between private and public schools.
Joshua assured that the gesture would be an annual event aimed at impacting the lives of vulnerable children positively, especially in education.
“I-JEF’s mission is to engage critical stakeholders through constructive and effective dialogue to assist communities,” he said.
Joshua called for partnership and support from individuals, governments and organisations, to sustain the initiative geared towards quality education for vulnerable children in the society.
The Programme’s Project Manager, Mr Shuaibu Adinoyi, said about 100 children participated in the summer lesson in both primary and secondary categories.
Adinoyi said that the programme positively impacted on the lives of the children, and called on government and other stakeholders to partner with the foundation.
He commended the corps members who were facilitators in the programme for putting in their best in impacting knowledge into the children.
In his remarks, Mr Idris Muraina, Chairman, Kogi State Association of NGO’s Network (KONGONET), commended the foundation for impacting on the lives of the vulnerable children.
Muraina pledged to continue to support the foundation and put government on their toes to do the needful for the citizens, especially the vulnerable.
Mr Titus Alonge, Executive Director, Teens Educational Development and Information Initiative (TEDiiN) and Mrs Hellen Henry, State Coordinator, Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children NGO in Nigeria (AONN), lauded the foundation for the initiative.
Speaking to NAN, the overall best student in the secondary category, Miss Susan Nicholas, thanked the foundation for the scholarship and prayed God to bless and replenish them. (NAN)
KN
Tags: Amina Suffiyau Iko-Josh Empowerment Foundation Miss Susan Nicholas Reuben Joshua
