By Ike Uchechukwu

A group of Calabar indigenes under the auspices of Calabar Forum ,United Kingdom have donated educational materials including bags,books and other stationeries to 600 students and pupils in Calabar South LGA,Cross River state .

The 600 beneficiaries were drawn from two schools , Government Secondary & Govt primary school Anantigha .

Speaking with newsmen, shortly after the distribution of the items , President of Calabar Forum ,UK ,Engr. Mkpang Coco-Bassey,disclosed that the forum was a non profit organization which gives back to the society to enable sustainable development.

According to him , one of the things that spur them was the need to provide for underprivileged children .

“His words :” Part of out motivation is to make sure that every child get good education no matter the financial strength of his or her parents .

“When we looked at schools ,we saw a lot of children who are underprivileged,we started a scheme last year to assist them ,we actually started with 600 materials including school bags, books, pens and pencils were given.As part of our educational empowerment scheme, we’re also giving to government primary school, Anantigha.

“I came here to challenge and spur up the students and pupils and let them know that irrespective of the materials given to them, they should study their books because I’m also a product of a public school.

“We have plans for scholarships. We will send our team to do feasibility studies to know which student actually needs this empowerment. We’re looking keenly into sponsorship a large number of them .

“This is just a way of helping the government to bring sustainable development. The standard of education in Nigeria is appalling. I know the government is trying their best but I believe if we join hands together, that’s the only way we can make the educational sector become more effective.

“Poverty is much and has a lot of negative effect some parents find it hard if not almost impossible to pay as low as 2,000 as school fees,it’s a big is a challenge, so the economic situation is also affecting our people.

“But I believe that irrespective of all these challenges, if we come together and inspire these students / pupils the way I have actually spoken to them, they will go back with a message that irrespective of the way things are ,they will better themselves and study hard.

“We captured 600 students who performed excellently well in the last academic session across pre-nursery, primary 1-6, and also JSS1-JSS3. Cross river state is blessed with enormous resources and it is the right leadership that we need to put everything in place as well as into the right perspective.

Speaking with Vanguard ,the principal Government secondary school, Anantigha,Evang. Valery Ekpenyong Henshaw, lauded the Forum for choosing her school describing the gesture as immeasurable.

“I want to say that I’m very grateful to the Almighty God for choosing us amongst all the schools in the whole of Cross River state and use the Calabar Forum UK to empower our students and I know that its going to help the children because a lot of them come from a very poor background.

“One of the problems children in Calabar south are having is that their parents don’t have money for their school fees. Even when they are asked to pay as little as 2,350 naira, parents cannot pay and as a result the students drop out, especially the SS2 students because they are supposed to pay fee for three terms at once which is about 13,350 naira.

“Many of them cannot afford to pay their fees, buy books, buy bags etc but I believe with these that have been given to them, they will be able to perform better than they were doing before,” she said.

On his part ,Comrade Jimmy Okoi, Head Teacher of government primary school , Anantigha described the forums Magnanimity as a welcome development that should be emulated

“It is a very welcomed and highly appreciated development. Last term this kind of program was held for about five schools in calabar south including bishop king and they were given these same items and I think we are the second batch in calabar south.

“We are most greatful to the forum for remembering our children and also encouraging them through this gesture ,it means so much to them ,” he said.