By Sam Eyoboka

AS part of this year’s EXCEL  programme, the Apapa Family of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, completed the donation of books and shelves to 125 primary schools across 11 local governments of Lagos State.

The books distributed included general reference books such as encyclopaedia, dictionaries, biogra-phies, instructional aids and Lagos State curriculum books cost the church organisation some N15,625,000.00.

A brief rundown of the project by the national cordinator, Pastor Wale Adenuga who articulated the church’s position, described the project as Excel Book Donation project which is spearheaded by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Apapa Family. According to him, the project started last year with the goal of equipping 500 schools with 200 books each.

“Last year we equipped 102 schools all over the LCDAs in Lagos. We are continuing this year with 125 schools as part of the 500. We gave out 200 books each and a shelf. We have done 45,000 books and 227 shelves to 227 primary schools across LCDAs and LGAs in Lagos state. That is what the project is all about in a nutshell,” he told reporters.

Asked what was the motivation, Pastor Adenuga who stood in for the head of the Apapa Family, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, said: “We are partnering with the state govern-ment. We also realized there’s a major challenge with public primary school education.

One of the Pastors-in-charge of Province presenting the books in one of the centres.

“We also want to boost reading culture of students in primary schools. This is just a little token to help actualise that. Some libraries are non existent in many primary schools. So this is just to kick start that reading culture and to expose the kids in public primary school system to reading.

He maintained that the focus is on Lagos because the Apapa Family, for the most side, is domiciled in Lagos “so we’re affecting our immediate constituency. Apapa Family has 12 provinces: two in Oyo State and 10 in Lagos State. It only makes sense for us to begin with our own Jerusalem and our own constituency. That’s why we are doing it.”

How do you encourage these young kids to read books when television and other electronic gadgets have taken over, he was asked.

“Number one, you cannot kick start the reading if the books are not there. I think because the books are there, you begin to generate an interest in the kids. I can use what we have in my church as a case study; we have a library where we try to encourage the kids in public primary schools in the locality to use. And they actually come in to read. About 40 of them come in on a weekly basis to sit down and read. They also do lessons, learning phonetics and all that. And they have to walk great distances. Maybe not all of them will do it but some will do it. And I think our goal is that whilst you may not be able to help everybody, if you can help one person and we’ve certainly been able to help more than one person; that in itself would have made a great diference.”

The targetted children are really young, do they really have time to visit libraries to read books?

“I think that will have to do with the schedule that their schools offer. As far as we know, for each of the schools that we gave those books to, they were extremely delighted. Even the local governments were extremely delighted because obviously it was something they have been yearning to have which means they have always looked for that opportunity but they didn’t have the resources. So basically, making those resources available would now make it possible for them to get the kids to read. It goes to say that we’ve created the opportunity for the kids to read maybe during breaktime or they can actually set aside a time during their school period for the kids to read. And we are focusing on public primary schools.

The church hopes to complete the 500 school target by the end of this year, or by first quarter of next year. According to Adenuga the church first approached SUPEB who are directly responsible for primary school education. “They were excited and they directed us to the local governments where they have the educational secretaries. Each of these people were extremely delighted that a church is providing resources for these kids. The impact is not quantifiable. That’s how I will put it.”

Is the funding strictly from the church or you have other people outside?

Strictly from the church, he replied, stating that in schools where there where no libraries, the shelves come handy.

The books have been duly snapped, he argued, adding, however, that “you have to just do your best and trust. We can’t because of the fear that people will do what is wrong, not to trust. And we are not just presenting to head mistresses, the members of staff are there. The local government staffs are there. So basically there’s the issue of shared responsibility. That’s the best you can do. But we trust that the books will not be sold.”

Apart from the books, is there any other thing that is associated with this project?

As a church, beyond education, the church is heavily involved in a couple of other things whether it is health, City of David has health facilities, mobile ambulances, dialysis centers under the hospital called, the Healing Stripes. Some other churches under the Apapa Family have rehabilitation centers for people who were drug addicts. Once we are through, we can get a full record of our intervention with the society from different provinces in the Apapa Family.”

Apapa Family also established some schools in some rural areas of Lagos including some in Ebute Meta, Epe.

The Family is also involved in God’s Children Got Talent, a talent hunt show that produces talents in various spheres of the creative arts. “That’s something that is being driven mainly by City of David which is our headquarters in Apapa Family. That’s their flagship project. But I’ve been involved on and off maybe as a judge or as an adviser. It’s a great event and it’s having an amazing impact on the young people in the country.”

On how they were able to cover 10 local governments within a day, Adenuga explained that the Family has 10 provinces in Lagos and the pastors-in-charges of the provinces took charge of each of the locations such that one province covered one local government.

The 10 locations included Ladi-Lak Primary School in Apapa Logal Government, Vetland Primary School, New Oko Oba, Ifako Ijaiye Local Government, Government College, Eric Moore, Surularere, Holy Cross Primary School, Lagos Island, Ikeja Primary School, Ikeja Local Government, Immaculate Primary School, Maryland, Oke Oyin Primary School, Epe, Methodist Schools, Ikorodu, Ibeju Town Schools, Ibeju Lekki, Igbo-Efon Primary Schools, Eti Osa Local Government, Muri Okunola Street, Iru-Victoria Island.