By Ibrahim Hassan,Kaduna

Fifty undergraduate students from 16 tertiary institutions have benefited from the third phase of the JJ Zaki Educational Support initiative for indigent students of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Speaking during the award ceremony to the beneficiaries on Wednesday in Kafanchan, the Administrative Secretary, JJ Zaki Educational Support Initiative, Comrade Shulnom Bako, said they received a total of one-hundred and seventy-eight applications from which only 50 were selected as beneficiaries.

While explaining the criteria used for the award of the educational support, Comrade Bako explained that distance of school and gender spread was also given top priority in the selection of the beneficiaries.

He said each of the beneficiaries received twenty thousand naira as the personal support of the philanthropic gesture of the Visioner and Program Director.

In a remark, the Visioner, Mr. Johnson John Zaki, urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the token received to improve and excel in their educational pursuit.

Zaki said the initiative, which first started in 2021, was borne out of his desire to contribute his quota to the educational growth of students within the Local Government, considering the current hardships being experienced in the country.

While pledging his resolve to continue with the Educational Support, the philanthropist urged those who did not benefit in this phase of the program to keep their hopes alive for subsequent exercises.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Samuel George and Boyi Elizabeth thanked the donor for coming to their aid when they needed it most to cushion the challenges they are facing in school as a result of the effects subsidy removal on petrol.

They however, appealed to other well meaning individuals to key into the initiative by also supporting other students who are finding it difficult to continue with their education as a result of high cost of living.