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… As QROGA seeks N20m to improve girl-child education

By Chioma Obinna

Nigerian women have been urged to rise above all limitations to ensure they are counted among the new tribe of women in the world. This is coming as members of Queen of the Rosary Old Girls’  Association, QROGA, Lagos Branch seeks N20 million to improve the education of the girl- child.

Co-Founder of Sahel Consulting and Founder, Leap Africa, Mrs Ndidi  Okonkwo  Nwuneli who gave the charge during the 1st fundraising event by QROGA, Lagos Branch weekend, said the country is in dire need of women who are visionary, innovative, humble, ethical, life-long learners and philanthropists.

According to her, despite the fact that discrimination, unfair policies and bias still exist in society, there is the need for Nigerian women to take responsibility and become more productive and efficient.

Nwuneli in her presentation entitled: Maximizing your Life’s Potential, urged the women not to be discouraged by life’s challenges.

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“The list of needs in our society is very long. It may be suffering in IDP Camps, the poor state of our health and educational systems, the shortage of adequate transportation, road safety, the plight of widows, the anguish of the physically challenged or motherless babies, access to clean water, health care, teenage pregnancy, violence against women, emotional abuse, freedom of speech, human rights, among others. We must leave a legacy of service and impact for future generations.”

Speaking on the fundraising event, the Vice-President of QROGA, Lagos State Branch, Dr Monica Hemben Eimumjeze said the target of the project is to improve girl-child education with particular attention to girls in Queen of the Rosary Girls’ School, Benue State.

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Ejmumjeze who noted that educating a girl-child was like educating a whole community lamented that in Nigeria, because of culture and society, the girl-child is easily at a disadvantage, hence the need to change the narrative.   “When you have educated women, you have educated community.”

She said the programme was organised to see what they can do as alumni of the school to see how to improve girl-child education in Benue.

“We have several initiatives; one is to make an impact on the school environment, second, is to impact the lives of the girls, young people and women. We also organise social outreach programmes.  We have done a few outreaches to internally displaced people within Benue State. We intend to use the N20 million for library renovation in the school, mentorship for the girls and outreach programmes targeted at improving the lives of the students.”

Speaking, the National President, Mrs Judith Hirnyam who said the event was all about giving back to the institution that moulded them during their formative years, said the fundraising would uplift the facilities in the school.

She called on the Federal Government to invest more in education particularly, girl-child education as the absence or obsolete facilities in schools affects girl-child access to education.

She said there is a need to subsidise the education of the girl-child as most parents who do not have enough resources prioritise boys over girls’ education.

Corroborating their views, the President, Lagos Branch of QROGA, Mrs  Lilian Odeh pledged that the proceeds of the first phase of the fundraising would be channelled appropriately to ensure the young girls in QRSS Gboko have a conducive learning environment.

“Apart from renovation of the library, mentorship programmes among others, we have chosen to offer a scholarship for less privileged students out of the very many other areas that need prompt attention in the school.”