By Gift Chapi-Odekina

Pupils of L.E.A. Primary School, Jahi Kado- Kuchi in the Federal Capital Territory received a boost on Thursday as the Rotary Club of Abuja City, in partnership with non-governmental organisations, distributed school materials and other essentials to support less privileged children and encourage school attendance.

The outreach, described as part of the club’s “Back to School” and “Street to School” projects, saw the distribution of school bags, sandals, socks, exercise books, writing materials and first aid supplies to pupils, many of whom had reportedly been attending classes without basic learning items.

Headmistress of the school, Mrs Arhanmudhe Edith, commended the initiative, saying the intervention would go a long way in improving the welfare and morale of the children.

According to her, officials of the Rotary Club carried out a needs assessment before embarking on the project.

“The very first day they came to the school, they moved from one class to another to identify the needs of the pupils and the school in general. Today, they came in a very big way to touch the lives of these children,” she said.

Arhanmudhe disclosed that some of the items donated included bags, sandals, stockings, exercise books, pencils, erasers and materials for the school’s first aid box.

“In fact, I was carried away. They even ensured that our first aid box was properly stocked for emergency treatment of pupils. They are truly giving back to society,” she added.

She urged more individuals, organisations and NGOs to support vulnerable children, noting that government alone could not shoulder the burden of education and child welfare.
“Government cannot do everything. We need more organisations like Rotary Club and foundations that will go into schools to find out what children truly need and support them,” she said.

President of the Rotary Club of Abuja City, Gloria Ikibah said the intervention was inspired by the plight of children who lacked basic school items.

“When I visited the school, I saw children without shoes, some wearing torn slippers, while others carried their books in nylon bags. That informed our decision to intervene after conducting a proper needs assessment,” she said.

She explained that the project was executed in partnership with Dream Awake Empowering Initiative and JHH Foundation.

“We gave out bags, socks, school sandals, exercise books, writing materials and also supported the staff. Rotary’s focus on basic education and disease prevention informed this project,” she stated.

According to her, previous interventions by the club included payment of school fees and PTA levies, but this year’s initiative focused on providing material support due to the prevailing economic hardship.

She called on Nigerians to imbibe the culture of giving, stressing that humanitarian gestures should not be limited to members of Rotary International.

“You don’t have to be a Rotarian before helping someone. If your neighbour’s child lacks shoes or a school bag, there is nothing wrong in reaching out. Putting smiles on people’s faces comes with blessings too,” she added.

Representative of Dream Awake Empowering Initiative, Adejoh Solomon, said the organisation partnered with the Rotary Club to bridge the gap confronting underprivileged school children.

“We are here to ameliorate the sufferings of these children and close the gap for pupils coming to school without sandals, bags or writing materials. We want to give them a sense of belonging among their peers,” he said.

Solomon urged government to intensify efforts toward improving children’s welfare in public schools, particularly by providing uniforms and enforcing monitoring mechanisms.

“Government should make efforts to provide school uniforms the same way NYSC uniforms are provided. There should also be monitoring teams to ensure children are not coming to school barefooted or without learning materials,” he said.

Also speaking, Assistant Governor of Rotary District 9127, Rotarian Gwabadi Ayimafidon, described the intervention as a routine outreach aimed at keeping children in school.

He explained that the “Street to School” project was designed to take children off the streets and return them to the classroom through sustained educational support.

“We want this to become a regular project. We will continue to return to provide bags, shoes, reading and writing materials so that every child benefits at different stages,” he said.

Ayimafidon noted that partnerships with groups such as Dream Awake Empowering Initiative and Joyful Hearts Initiative had enabled the Rotary Club to expand the scope of its intervention and reach more pupils.

“With more partners, we will be able to do more for the children and the school community,” he added.