The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NGO

  • NGO pays exam fees for 224 candidates

    NGO pays exam fees for 224 candidates

    A non-governmental organisation, Chinedu Ogah Foundation has taken the pressure off 184 secondary school pupils in Item Amagu in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    The organisation offset their West African Senior School Certificate Exam fees totaling N2m.

    He also promised to pay the fees of 97 Primary Six pupils of Community Primary School in the community who will sit the 2015 Common Entrance exam.

    The chairman and chief executive of the foundation, Comrade Chinedu Ogah disbursed the funds to the benefiting students when he visited the school.

    Addressing the benefiting students, staff and principal of the school, Ogah said the resolve to settle the fees of the students was borne out of the determination and commitment to develop the youths who are the future of tomorrow and deserves empowerment.

    Ogah said, “The youths are the future leaders of tomorrow; that is why the NGO embarked on the payment of WASC fees to the students, and to assist in the academic pursuits of students in his community by improving the standard of education in the area,” he reiterated.

    He stated that the foundation has granted scholarship to undergraduates studying various courses in Nigerian universities across the country, in addition to construction of health centers and provision of electricity and roads to the community.

    “We also attracted the construction of the classroom block in the school, so that the students can study in a conducive atmosphere. The foundation regularly procures school uniforms for all the students in the school every year as well as text books”

    He called on the students to take their studies as they have no excuse anymore to fail even as he promised to give university scholarship to students who pass the exams.

    Comrade Ogah announced that arrangements have been concluded to construct staff quarters for staff of unity secondary schools.

    Reacting to the development, the principal of the school, Mrs  Mary Nweke commended the foundation for her philanthropic gesture to the school, assuring that the school will live up to expectation by bequeathing academic excellence to the students.

    It would be recalled that the foundation had over the years secured employment to over 315 graduates from the community in federal parastatals, courtesy of the Chinedu Ogah Foundation in addition to scholarships to hundreds of students across the state.

     

  • NGO tests pupils’ knowledge of heroes

    Educare Trust, a Non-Governmental Organisation, tested the knowledge of secondary school pupils in Ibadan last week with a quiz competition on Nigerian heroes.

    The NGO hosted the competition called Nigerianna to celebrate Nigerian heroes and heroines in various fields of endeavour.

    The contest was among 24 schools selected from four zones in Ibadan.

    Orogun Grammar School, Methodist Grammar School, Cheshire High School, and St Louis Grammar School contested in the grand finale from the zones.

    The final featured various stages in which the contestants were required to prove their knowledge in current affairs, entertainment, literature, sports and spelling.

    Methodist Grammar School won, while Orogun Grammar School and Cheshire High School were first and second runners up.

    Awards of excellence were presented to individual contestants as well. Hassan Olasupo, the contestant from Cheshire High School, who is physically challenged, was awarded the most valuable student.

    The overall best award was given to the contestants from Methodist Grammar School, Adediwura Yinka and Adedeji Yusuf.

    The duo in an interview said the victory was expected because of their level of preparation.

    “I cannot really say I am surprised. We prepared so hard for the quiz because there was an expectation from us. It was tough, but God helped us,” Adediwura said.

    The Administrator and Programme Officer, Educare Trust, Mr Folorunsho Moshood, said the quiz was organised to promote education and provide an avenue for the pupils to groom, exhibit and develop their talents.

    “This quiz is to help these students as well as their schools. We want the standard of education to improve. We therefore advise the schools to make good use of the books that have been given to them as a gift from Educare,” Moshood said.

    The quiz was sponsored by members of Educare Trust and Boff and Company, who presented the winners with trophy.

     

  • NGO makes widows happy in Enugu

    NGO makes widows happy in Enugu

    Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Cari-ng Heart Foundation has made 20 indigent widows happy in Enugu State.

    The widows who were drawn from two local government areas of Ibeagwa-Agu and Nimbo in Nsukka and Uzo-Uwani  were promised cash donations that will give them a means of livelihood.

    While presenting the gift items, Mrs. Joy Agbo, President of the foundation in a remark, said their objective is to help orphans, widows and elderly people in the society to alleviate their sufferings and give them a sense of belonging.

    “We are eight women friends that formed this NGO, our objective is to assist indigent widows, orphans and elderly people who have nobody to care for them in Nsukka senatorial district.

    “We are women married in Nsukka and we are living with our husbands in Lagos, this charity oriented foundation gives succor to those who have nobody to look after them.

    “It’s not that we have excess money but we want to use the little we have to put smiles on faces of widows, orphans and elderly, “she said.

    She said that she had one to one talk with benefitting widows and what they said they needed was money to farm to enable them to get something to eat as well as take care of their families.

    ‘Before March this year when farming will start, the foundation will send some amount of money through a volunteer member of the foundation from the local government.

    According to, Mrs Amaka Ugwu, Secretary of the foundation, non-refundable cash donations will be made available to the widows which we will monitor to ensure that the money was used judiciously.

    “When the foundation gives out the money to the widows, we will monitor the use through our volunteers to know if the money is correctly put into use.

    ”You know most times when you give this money to the beneficiaries they may channel it to some other things other than what it was meant for.

    Ugwu said two months ago, the foundation gave some gift items to some orphans that today was the turn of widows adding that in the next three months it would be the turn of elderly people.

    ‘We ensure this charity work is not concentrated in a particular local government by ensuring we select beneficiaries from different LGs that made up the zone, ‘she said

    Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Mary Ezema said she lacked words to express the happiness in her heart, but pray God to bless the foundation for coming to their rescue.

    “We have nothing to pay them back but only God  will reward them on the year gift and promised to send money to enable us buy farmland and hire labourers ,’she said

    A women leader in Ibegwa Aka community, Mrs. Joy Ezea, who witnessed the event commended the foundation for coming all the way from Lagos to help indigent widows and prayed God to help the foundation in their own point of need.

    “God will surely reward this foundation for remembering the poor in the society, “she said.

  • NGO’s empowerment programme lifts 30

    NGO’s empowerment programme lifts 30

    A three-day empowerment programme organised by the Caring Hands International (CHI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in conjunction with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, was a dream come true for about 30 unemployed youths.

    As graduates of various tertiary institutions, some, if not all of them, have similar experiences. They have not had jobs since they graduated.

    For some of the beneficiaries, including Afolayan Adefunke, a graduate of Federal College of Agriculture Ibadan, Oyo State; Adewumi Adedokun who graduated from the School of Heath Technology, Ilesa, Osun State; Olukoga Solomon who graduated from the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State and Bello Lateefat who graduated from the College of Education, Ila-Orangun Osun State, the programme was a realised dream.

    They sought for jobs to; at least, practice what they studied in school. But their orientation changed after they had participated in the three-day vocational/skill acquisition programme which, they said, will enable them to set up their own businesses as well as make them employers of labour.

    While praising the organisers of the programme, the participants said the knowledge they acquired would enable them to become self-reliant.

    Skills learnt during the training included events management, baking, bead-making and decorations.

    The Executive Director of the NGO, Mrs Fehintola Obilomo Toyin said she decided to organise the skill acquisition programme to complement the state government’s efforts in providing employment for the youth in the state.

    “The level of unemployment among Nigerian youths motivated the Caring Hands International to put up this programme, with the expectation that some will become self-reliant and prosperous,” she said, adding that the free programme was funded by the Trustees of Caring Hands International.

    Lamenting the huge number of graduates tertiary institutions churn out every year, and who have no hope of getting employed, she said the issue of youth unemployment has become a threat to socio-economic stability. She noted that her organisation is willing to encourage youths to develop their full potential and earn a living by doing some legitimate businesses.

    Toyin praised various efforts of the Federal Government who target are to empower the youth. These, she said, include the Youth with Initiative in Nigeria, (YouWIN), Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), Graduate Empowerment Scheme (GEMS) and the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme which is the brainchild of Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led administration that aims at addressing unemployment among youths.

    She, however, frowned at a situation in which, despite government’s efforts, not much impact has been made as more graduates join the labour market every year.

    Toyin said her NGO intends to monitor beneficiaries of the skill acquisition programme to ensure that the objectives for which it was organised are realised.

    The NDE Coordinator in Osun State, Mr Sola Daramola who was represented by Head, Department of Small Scales Enterprises Mr. Olusegun Odebiyi praised the NGO for organising the skill acquisition programme for the youth. He urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity in order to begin their own businesses.

    Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Mr Biyi Odunlade, who declared the skill acquisition workshop open advised the youth to be focused and enterprising rather than complaining of lack of jobs, as government alone cannot employ everybody.

  • NGO seeks end to violence against women, children

    Anon-govermental organisation, Hope For Life Initiative, has embarked on a campaign to end violence against women and the girl-child.

    The NGO, in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) and the Lagos State Ministry of Education, have within the last four weeks, led the initiative to propagate the “HeForShe” campaign in three schools.

    The schools  include Oduduwa Junior High School, Gbagada, Anyangburen Senior Secondary School in Ikorodu and Isawo Junior High school, located at Agric area of Ikorodu.

    Director, Hope For Life Initiative, Kendi Aig-Imoru called for an end to violence against women and the girl-child, urging boys to assist girls to jointly sustain the ideals of the HeForShe campaign.

    She reiterated the importance of the project and the opportunity of spreading the message outside the school particularly to the community.

    An Education officer, from District 11, Maryland, Mrs. Bunmi Olanrewaju, reiterated the importance of the project and the opportunity of spreading the message outside the school particularly to the community.

    The initiative began at the Oduduwa Junior High School, Gbagada in Bariga on November  26, last year where representatives from Hope for life initiative led by Aig-Imoru introduced the details of the campaign.

    Aig-Imoru spoke on the importance of not only taking the message to at least 10 persons outside the school, but to their brothers, sisters and families, stressing that it was important that the change to end violence against women and the girl  child must began at home with every one present.

    She emphasised the importance on saying “No to Violence” and the ideals of the campaign.

    The students then presented a drama piece which was followed by words of wisdom by the students on the need to stay away from gender violence. The event also witnessed discussion session with the students and question and answer session.

    The campaign also moved to Ayangburen Senior Secondary School, Ikorodu, on December 4, last year. At the event, a representative of the Ministry of Education was on hand to assure government’s support for the campaign at both schools.

    Fron Ayangburen Secondary School, the team proceeded to Isawo Junior High school where everyone, including participants, had an interesting walk.

    At the end of the exercise, the students in all the schools visited promised to  uphold the ideals of the HeForShe campaign.

    The organisers of the initiative have, however, expressed their appreciation for the support by UNIC, which was represented in all the schools visited by Envera Selimovic and Mrs. Folashade Ogunnaike of the Lagos State Ministry of Education.

  • NGO stresses love, care for children

    A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Loving Gaze Schools, has underscored the essence of giving care and love to children, particularly during festivities.

    Loving Gaze, who is the general manager, Barbara Pepoli, spoke at the SS Peter & Paul Creche, Nursery & Primary Christmas party. It featured over 360 students and their families in attendance.

    Pepoli said such gesture would give the children a sense of responsibility and make them discover the beauty around them.

    The Christmas party was celebrated with the support of Kinder Joy, a children household event which featured a Santa Claus that gave each kid a package comprising chocolate and toy.

    He said: “We are delighted to celebrate this year’s Christmas party with the support of Kinder Joy. We share the same values for our children: Joy, quality of education and surprise for the beauty of the world. It is every child’s right to receive care, attention and love. We want them to be aware of their dignity and infinite value; this is our education through all our activities.

    “We want them to grow, discover the beauty around them and become responsible adults. Our school’s motto for this academic year is: What is essential can be seen only with an open heart. We hope that our children will see the true spirit and joy of this Christmas celebration.”

    He explained that Loving Gaze is a not-for-profit organisation, with 25 years of experience in Nigeria. It is run by 150 Nigerian professionals, Italian expatriates and international volunteers. The NGO focuses on underprivileged communities especially, in Lagos and Taraba States, through educational activities, basic health care service, women empowerment and vocational training,” Pepoli said.

    The party afforded the pupils opportunity to participate cultural dance, dance, songs and drama presentations. Aside, participating families and teachers had the chance to meet and discuss.

    SS Peter & Paul Creche, Nursery & Primary School was founded  by the NGO as a social service, providing basic quality education to all children regardless of religious, ethnic or economic background.

    The school began operation in 1991, as a Catholic private school.  At present, school enjoys international exposure with eight international volunteered teachers from France, Australia and Italy.

     

     

     

  • NGO sensitises villagers on balanced diet

    NGO sensitises villagers on balanced diet

    Smile Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has donated materials to the residents of Abata–Ipakodo village near Ago-Iwoye in Ogun State. The foundation is made up of students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU).

    The students were in the community to sensitise the resident on balanced diet and healthy living. Residents were given free gifts after the sensitisation.

    The NGO founder, Valentine Ademenso, a 400-Level Political Science student, said the initiative was borne of the need to heal the community of diseases and put smile on the faces of residents. She said: “A lot of people want to live a life full of joy; they want to live a life where everything is beautiful. They think of self-joy, self-growth and self-fulfillment. From the joy of the less privileged, we derive our joy.” Children, who attended the sensitisation exercise, were given educational materials, while elders got clothes and household materials.

  • NGO de-worms pupils in Lagos

    NGO de-worms pupils in Lagos

    Pupils of Ahmadiyyah Primary School and Fazil-Omar Primary School both in Iwaya, Yaba Local Government Area were de-wormed during a de-worming campaign that was carried out in their school premises recently.

    According to President of NAS Yaba chapter, Mr Femi Hassan,  The massive exercise going which was collaboration between the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) medical mission and the National Primary Health Care Agency, was part of the series of activities that has been prepared during this year’s Maternal and Newborn Child Health week.

    The headmaster of the beneficiary schools, expressed profound gratitude to NAS and its members for taking out time from their crowded schedule to organise to ensure conduct of the exercise.

    The headmaster Ahmadiyyah Primary School, Mr. G.A. Liadi “I suppose this kind of activity should happen more often. At the next Parent Teachers Association (PTA) meeting of the school, I will inform all parents of this laudable act,” he said.

    Also, the head teacher of Fazil-Omar Primary School commended NAS for its heart-warming activity and appealed that the de-worming exercise be carried out from time to time considering its positive impact on a developing child’s health.

  • Forum seeks tougher penalty for rapists

    At a one-day stakeholders summit on Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Bill in Enugu on Tuesday, participants have advocated a jail term without option of fine for convicted rapists in the State.

    This was part of the resolutions of the summit organised by the Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Enugu.

    The NGO stressed that the call was necessary to serve as deterrent to others against the increased cases of rape and domestic violence.

    The summit also resolved that keeping such rapists behind bars would not only deter others from perpetrating the act, but would reform the offenders after serving their term.

    “Paying fine may not make the rapists to suffer any physical or psychological pain,” the summit stated.

    It also called for the review of the Evidence Act on rape cases, saying that it was ambiguous, stringent and cumbersome and made the proof of evidence difficult.

    “A situation where the law says that the victim should provide a third party evidence to prove a rape case is difficult.

    “This explains why most of the rapists go free for want of evidence,’’ the summit said.

    It also called on the government and other non-governmental organisations to fund an agency that would prosecute rape cases and violence against persons.

    It said this would reduce the incidences of settlement out of court or victims refusing to prosecute the case for fear of stigmatisation.

    In her remarks, Dr Joy Ezeilo, the Executive Director of WACOL, called for sustainable collaboration among stakeholders in the fight against all forms of violence in the society.

    Ezeilo said WACOL recorded 160 cases of rape in six months in Enugu State, urging victims of rape or violence, their relations or friend to speak out to expose the perpetrators.

    She said that a register of those convicted of rape would soon be opened in the state as obtainable in developed societies.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the summit themed: “In Search of Effective Remedies for Victims and Survivors of Violence against Persons”, had security agencies, the media, civil society groups and other stakeholders in the prevention of violence in attendance.

    It was organised in collaboration with the Legislative Advocacy Coalition for Violence against Women under the Voices for Change Project.

  • NGO partners education ministry on ‘peace education’

    African Foundation for Peace and Love Initiative (AFPLI), has partnered Lagos State Ministry of Education on the International Day of Peace Lagos Creative contest involving over 100 secondary school pupils across the six education districts.

    The event, which took place penultimate week at the Nigerian French Language Village, Lagos, had as its theme: “Promoting peace education and peaceful atmosphere for the right of peace to people during and after 2015 election.”

    In his welcome address, President of the Foundation, Rev Titus Oyeyemi, said the organisation is revolutionalising peace education by engaging many channels, which include inuaguration of school and community-based peace clubs.

    According to him, some of these initiatives include the African Children of Peace Clubs for children in basic schools, the Youth Peace Alliance Clubs for teenagers, and KAIROS Peace and Love Clubs targeted at undergraduates in tertiary institutions. The fourth is the New Peace Legacy Clubs, targeted at young graduates undergoing their one year compulsory National Youth Service Commission, (NYSC).

    The foundation, Oyeyemi explained, is also taking peace education to a higher level by designing, developing and publishing education curriculum and text books suitable for  contextual needs, applications and adaptations.

    Oyeyemi said the foundation has been participating at the International Day of Peace and other United Nations (UN) programmes and events since 2006.

    “Regrettably, the voice of the Nigerian children and youths are constantly missing from the political affairs of the nation. For this reason, pupils from the six education districts have been invited to present dramas and playlets to promote peaceful 2015 general election,” he said.

    Representative of Akran of Badagry, Aholu Menu Toyi, Chief Harrison Ajose, advised people to stop violence by encouraging the use of the word ‘please’ and giving children right grooming at home, knowing that they are the future leaders.

    “Grooming of children is a partnership with parents, the school and the government. We should use this occasion to ascertain peace, build better character in our children and good neighbourliness,” he said.

    Ajose appealed to Nigerians to consider peace and togetherness by rededicating themselves to creating a better Nigeria.

    The pupils presented dramas, songs and poems on the need for peaceful election. At the end, District IV came first in the song category with 25 points, while District II and District III emerged first and second runners up with 21.4 points and 13.5 points respectively.

    With 28.5 points, District III topped, district II and I with 21.4 and 20.1 points to clinch the star prize in the drama category.

    Also in the poem category, District II led others with 25.8 points, followed by District I with 22.5 points and District III with 18.2 marks.