From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
An NGO, Iko-Josh Empowerment Foundation (I-JEF), has offered scholarships to the overall best children in its just concluded free summer lessons for vulnerable primary and junior secondary children in Kogi state.
During the lesson which lasted for six weeks, the children totaling about 100 in both categories, also received free distribution of educational materials.
The 12-year old JSS 2 student, Miss Susan Nicholas; and eight-year old Primary 4 pupil, Miss Amina Suffiyau, both won the overall best in Secondary and Primary categories respectively.
Aside the scholarship offered, the 2nd and 3rd positions in both categories and other children who distinguished themselves during the programme, also received consolation prices.
Speaking at the award presentation at Lokongoma Primary School, Lokoja over the weekend, the Executive Director of I-JEF, Mr Reuben Joshua, congratulated the scholars for making their parents and the foundation proud.
He said the initiative was prompted by the desire of the Foundation to bridging the wide gap between the private and public schools.
Joshua assured that the gesture would be an annual event aimed at impacting the lives of the vulnerable children positively especially in education.
According to him, I-JEF’s mission is to engage critical stakeholders through constructive and effective dialogue that would enhance and aid services to assist communities.
He called for partnership and support from individuals, governments and organisations to sustain the initiative geared towards giving quality education to vulnerable children in the society.
The Programme’s Project Manager, Mr Shuaibu Adinoyi, said about 100 children participated in the summer lesson in both primary and secondary categories.
Adinoyi stressed that the programmes had made great positive impact in the lives of the children, and called for government and other stakeholders’s support to join in the partnership.
He commended the Corps members who were the facilitators of the programme for putting in all their best in impacting knowledge into the children.
In his remarks, Mr Idris Muraina, KONGONET Chairman in Kogi; commended the foundation for impacting the lives of the vulnerable children positively and for building their capacity for the future.
Muraina promised the Foundation of KONGONET’s support, assuring that they would continue to put the governments on their toes to do the needful for the citizens especially the vulnerable.
IMr Titus Alonge, Executive Director, Teens Educational Development & Information Initiative (TEDiiN); and Mrs Hellen Henry, State Coordinator, Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children NGO in Nigeria (AONN), all commended the foundation for the initiative.
The overall best student in the Secondary category, Miss Susan Nicholas, thanked the Foundation for the scholarship and prayed God to bless and replenish them.