The Nation Newspaper

Tag: summer camp

  • Cowbell considers scholarships for young footballers

    Promasidor Nigeria Ltd is considering giving scholarship to foreign sports universities for talented children currently in training at Cowbell Football Academy (CFA).

    This year’s edition of the yearly Cowbell Football Academy Summer Camp, which runs till August 12, 2017 at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, has 125 participants, and is open to children between ages five and 17. They are being taught character building, individual technical development, small-side games, team competition, mental training, goal keeping training, fun game and more.

    Speaking on the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer, Multisports Services & Entertainment Limited, Godwin Dudu-Orumen, who is the coordinator of programme and the Rector of CFA, said the academy has opened up channels with coaches in football-playing universities in the United States of America and other major Western countries to grant scholarships to outstanding talents with the requisite educational qualification.

    He said opportunities are also available in tertiary institutions locally, and that the academy would send videos to the target schools to enable them appreciate the skills available in the academy.

    Dudu-Orumen said the academy would develop the trainees further for scholarship, if the schools showed interest in any of them.

    “We explore opportunities both locally and internationally for any of the children that meets the conditions for scholarship as they also need to be educated before they can play for any global team because the rules for acceptance in international teams have changed,” he affirmed.

    The academy, which has 500 participants, runs in Surulere, Lufasi Nature Park, Lekki, and Badagry all in Lagos, as well as in Benin City. But the summer camp programme runs only at the Lufasi Nature Park and Surulere.

    Dudu-Orumen said that other centres would be incorporated into the programme in 2018.

    Meanwhile, parents of participants have praised Cowbell for putting up such an initiative that helps to spur children’s interest in football. Dada Ajai-Ikhile, an advertising practitioner, whose child from Grace High School, Gbagada, Lagos is at the academy, said Promasidor has done well in ensuring that children learn the rudiments of football at an early age and to develop the interest in it. He stated that this would lead to a pool of professional footballers that would make the country proud in future.

    Obayemi Praise, who has her children from Ostria Private School and Deeper Life High School at the academy, said she was quite impressed with what Promasidor has done on the yearly initiative, which has helped to fire up children’s interest in football.

    “The coaches are putting in their best to enhance the skills of the children and my sons are keen on becoming footballers in future, after attaining tertiary education,” she said.

    At the commencement of the camp, Segun Odegbami, ex-Nigerian international footballer, motivated the children to develop interest and skills for the game. He told them how he combined engineering studies and football, and still played for Nigeria.

  • Pupils learn etiquette at Girls’ Summer Camp

    Some female students in SS2 and SS3 in Education District III have learnt to do things with decorum, thanks to the four-week Girls’ Summer Camp organised by a non-governmental organisation, Ornaments of Grace and Virtue (OGAV).

    The ceremony, which held at St Gregory’s Hall, Education District III Headquarters, Ikoyi, Lagos State had participants taught etiquette and leadership development skills.

    Some of the participants, who spoke to The Nation on the last day of the event, described the programme as a ‘life changer’ and related some of the new things they learnt or have improved upon.

    “Now I know how to address my elders, respect myself and my peers, dress properly, speak, walk and act properly as a lady,” said Hamdalat Akingbade, an SS 2 pupil of Wahab Folawiyo Senior School, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    Adama Mohammed, another SS3 pupil of Girls Grammar School, Ikoyi, who demonstrated how to set a table for a three-course meal, said: “I have learnt a lot about etiquette. We have been working on practical ways of doing everything and it has started helping me already because there are some things that I have corrected about myself, especially in my behaviour. I can boldly advice my peers to behave like proper ladies and to not over react on issues.”

    For Omotolani Daniel, an SS2 pupil of Wahab Folawiyo Senior High School, Ikoyi, who demonstrated  how to walk like a lady said: “I have learned a lot about makeup and other crafts as well as moral characters. I discovered how to be bold. I would gather people and teach them what I have learnt and I would also try to generate income for myself. Whenever we are asked to come for programmes like this, we should all try to attend because they are always helpful and we all must learn a trade to be independent.”

    The event was replete with colour  as participants displayed what they had been taught during the month-long programme in practicals.

    Oluwadamilola Adekoya from Wahab Folawiyo Senior School, Ikoyi, showed guests how to tie head gear. Others simply talked about their desired identities and displayed art works showing their personalities.

    Secretary of OGAV, Mrs Kehinde Omojola said she had an exciting experience facilitating the camp.

    “It has been very exciting facilitating these children. We all had fun. While teaching, we had to use them as models. Hearing some of them speak, I was very impressed. I know Lagos State is doing so much to make our schools better. The children have been punctual, obedient and ready to learn. They just want to soak in everything. We have made fun of ourselves, we shared mistakes which they learnt from and it has been nice,” she said.

    Omojola said the camp’s objective was to fill the gap of moral decadence and social etiquette in the society.

    She said: “We decided to fill a gap that we have seen in the society. There is the need for them to be properly brought up, because for them to succeed in life, 85 per cent of what is required is the social skills, while personal development and academic knowledge just forms about 15 per cent.  So, we decided to go to schools, especially public schools, where some of these things are not readily taught.”

    Director of Schools Administration of the district, Dr Raji Mudasiru, praised the recent focus of the society on morals, and leadership education outside the classroom. She called for extension of such projects to other parts of the state.

    District Counsellor, Mrs Aderonke Odunsi-Titus and Mrs Kehinde Beckley, who anchored the event were optimistic that participants would shine in future.

  • Summer Camp for teenage girls underway

    Summer Camp for teenage girls underway

    Teenage school girls  in Lagos State Education districts III and IV, have been registered to participate in a girls’ summer camp next month.

    The camp, which is hosted by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Ornaments of Grace and Virtue, (OGAV), in collaboration with the two districts, is meant to nurture and empower girls to be independent and self-confident as they grow.

    President of OGAV, Mrs Olubusola Kolade, said the camp, with the theme: “Etiquette,” would feature career guidance, character education, life coaching as well as academic and leadership skills development.

    She said her girls were expected to develop virtues of self-control, fairness, care, good citizenship, self-motivation, punctuality, reliability, creativity, respect, trustworthiness, responsibility and creativity in the month-long camp.

    Being a day-camp, Mrs Kolade said activities would begin from Tuesday, August 4 and end on Thursday, August 27 at the Lagos State Education District III office, Falomo, Ikoyi.

    She expressed confidence in the success of the camp based on the testimonies at the organisation’s first anniversary celebrated with Gbaja Senior Secondary School, Surulere, last month.

    “My girls were so happy by the end of the training, which we started in their school last year.The programme is highly essential for young girls, because it is a mentorship club. My facilitators are well-trained in relating with the girls so everything they need would be provided,” she said.

  • Discovering talents at summer camp

    Discovering talents at summer camp

    Summer holiday is synonymous with fun. Pupils do all they can to catch the fun while it lasts. However, for 45 pupils from various secondary schools in Lagos, who were at the Vision 2020: Youth Empowerment and Initiative summer camp, it was time to work.

    They spent one week at the camp at Dowen College, Lekki, during which they had Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology classes – as well as seminars that exposed them to the oil and gas industry, technology and entrepreneurship.

    During the closing ceremony of the camp, the pupils showcased various skills they learnt, including interesting inventions.

    The inventions on displayed, which wowed many of their parents and other guests included a portable rechargeable refrigerator, fire alarm system, smoke detector, wind vane, powered car, refined plastic used for bricks, solar oven, and motorised cowpea peeler.

    Project Consultant of Vision 2020 Youth Empowerment programme, Dr Ibilola Amao, said at the event that the summer school programme was inspired by the need to help young ones discover their abilities, a need many schools are not addressing.

    “Before you can be in the summer camp, you would have showed passion for school work. All this is focused on getting Nigerians prepared on time for the future. The report cards of these children are sent to us; we go through it and invite them for a test. If they pass, they will become members of the house for the summer camp. We transform them here and we hope they would go out and do us proud,” she said.

    Emmanueal Okeke, a pupil of Unity Senior High School, Oshodi said the camp was something to write home about. He said he acquired a lot of knowledge.

    “I have given myself the courage to strive harder in life. I met and I have known more people. If the camp continues, Nigerian youth will grow more in knowledge,” he added.

    On his part, Francis Ugwu said he appreciated the various facilitators who taught him to have focus and respect. He told the Nigerian youth that they are the leaders of today, “plan today to make tomorrow.”

    Another participant, Kehinde Odumosu said he has been inspired and empowered.

    “I can make whatever I want, do whatever and go wherever after this camp. Before now I had a low self-esteem and did not believe in myself but I know now that I can be whatever I want to be. I am a great person now,” she said.

    At the end of the event prizes certificates was given to everyone while special prizes were given to outstanding pupils.

    Best prizes in academics went to Esekhaigbe Peter (Ikeja Senior Grammar School, IKeja) with 76.8 per cent; followed by Jasanya Oluwakayode (Oriwu Senior Model College, Ikorodu), 75.8 per cent and Nwankwoh Okuchukwu (Federal Government College, Ijanikin), 74. 7 per cent.

    Best in essay writing went to Rachael Fatola of Shesfun Comprehensive School, Ikotun; best behaved male was Emmanuel Okeke of Unity Senior High School, Oshodi who also won the most outstanding student award. The best behaved female was Adeola Mabadeje of Bellina College, Akoka.