By Elizabeth Uwandu

Emotions ran high asindigent parents of pupils of Banjo Nursery and Primary School, Ottumara, Ilaje, Lagos, watched as Sparkle Foundation doled out items to their children.

*Sparkle Foundation giving gift items to pupils of Banjo Nur. & Pry School, Ottumara, Ilaje, Lagos.

Sparkle Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, NGO, as part of efforts to mark the 2019 World Children’s Day, through her Smiley Faces outreach, visited the school and gave each of the 350 pupils the following gift items: a school bag, exercise books, food pack, sandals, noodles, football, among other treats.

Parents who spoke to WO at the event sponsored by different organisations said that they will no longer worry about buying school materials for their wards, as the NGO had provided all they needed.

For Mrs Loveth Akpan, a parent of two of the pupils, her children will now go to school like real pupils.

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Her words: “My children are in Nursery one and Nursery two. I feel very happy. It will reduce cost of buying school materials for children. Sparkle gave my children school bags, books, noodles, water bottles and so many things. Let everyone do like them, and life will be good,” she said.

On his part, Mr. Celestine Chukwu, Chairman, Parents Teachers Association, PTA of the school said: “These gifts will reduce the stress of buying school materials 100 per cent. I am a minister but I make bags for a living,” he said.

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Expressing delight over the donation, Onome Atiyo, a Basic three pupil of Banjo Nursery and  Pry School, said her mother will now use her meagre income from the sale of envelopes to cater for her other siblings.

For Ifeanyi Ojegun, a Basic six pupil: “I now have everything I need to concentrate on my studies with the gifs the foundation gave to me”, he said.

Founder, Sparkle Foundation, Mrs Simbo Ojuroye, said: Smiley Faces, organised annually, is aimed at giving less privileged children in the communities  a sense of belonging.

“Today, we have been able to positively affect 350 children by this event,” she noted.

Vanguard