ASHENEWS reports that a journalist in Niger state, Chenemi Bamaiyi has supported some out-of-school children in Minna with tuition fees and educational materials to enable them to return to school.
The items which include notebooks, chalk, school shoes, uniforms and stationary sets are aimed at improving the learning process.
Bamaiyi described his initiative as a personal commitment to giving back to society and tackling the issue of educational access in his community.
“What we are doing is a redemptive work, we are trying to salvage as many as we can. For some of the children we handed out educational materials and paid their tuition, some had been out of primary school for a long and others had never been to primary school as well.
“As you know once the foundation is affected, it’s difficult to build on it so we are trying to see what we can salvage. We are hopeful that the help we have rendered today will go a long way in helping them to fulfil their potential,” he said.
He lamented that despite the cost-effectiveness of public schools in the state, many parents cannot still pay for the basic requirements such as uniforms or stationery.
He therefore called on stakeholders to support such gestures within communities.
“My call to stakeholders is to start from wherever they can. Whatever help you can render, just make sure you can help.”
Bamaiyi further advised the students to deists from engaging in social vices and to take their studies seriously.
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Niger State Ministry of Education, Mr Jonathan Wasa said that the Niger State Government has launched a World Bank-funded project to support vulnerable children, ensuring more children have access to education.
While lauding to organiser of the event for his gesture, he said that the ministry will work with him to provide similar opportunities for other children.
Some parents of the beneficiaries, Jummai Alkasim and Yusuf Abdullahi while lauding the donations urged other well-meaning Nigerians to support parents of underprivileged children in the society.
“I urge them to look back at the children do the poor. Even if education is free, many parents cannot even afford to feed these children before going to school,” Abdullahi said.
Another member of the community, Abubakar Mahmud, encouraged other well meaning individuals to emulate the gesture in the interest of Nigeria’s future.
