Cakasa Ebenezer Foundation (CEF), the CSR arm of Cakasa Nigeria Limited, recently gave school bags, books, and writing tools to three Lagos public elementary schools in Mushin Local Government Area (LGA).
The donation was part of Cakasa Ebenezer Foundation’s Kit-a-child campaign.
The schools are Oduduwa Pry School, Estate Pry School, and Papa Ajao Pry School.
364 children from kindergarten to primary six were given school bags, exercise books (40 leaves for older kids and 2A, 2B, 2D for juniors), pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, doughnuts, and a drink.
Mrs. Oladele Folayemi, headteacher at Papa Ajao Pry School, called Cakasa Ebenezer Foundation a godsend for poor parents and their children.
Folayemi manages the school’s 174 students with only five teachers and one janitor. Very elated at the donation, she laments that most parents can’t afford writing tools for their children.
“A child came to school with only one notebook. I asked the mum, ‘Is it only one notebook your child will use for 12 subjects?’ She sighed and said ‘God will help me. I’m hoping that by Monday, I would have bought her more notebooks.’ That mother will be pleasantly surprised to see her child return home today with so many books. Many more parents who hear of Cakasa Ebenezer Foundation’s gesture will also be attracted to bring their children to this school. We are very grateful,” she said.
Similar joy was experienced at Oduduwa Pry School, where Mrs. Akpan Sifon Godwin is the head teacher and has a staff of nine people in addition to over 86 students.
“I am so happy about today, about what I have seen Cakasa Ebenezer Foundation do for the children. They gave them bags, books and many other things. I am very happy. I pray that the Almighty God will reward them. As they have done for these children, I pray God will do for their kids too and they will continue to make progress in life.”
Mrs. Orelaro Abosede is the principal of Estate Pry School, which has 104 students and four instructors. She commended CEF for keeping its promise to assist the school in overcoming some of its difficulties.
“When EkoExcel came to tell us that they wanted to link us up with an NGO that they saw doing wonders somewhere, I said okay, if it is something that will be beneficial to our children, they are wholeheartedly welcome. So, CEF came and we told them some of our problems. They left and promised to return.
“They’ve now fulfilled their promise and have done welcome back to school for the children. I really appreciate Cakasa Ebenezer Foundation. They have been trying and we have seen it now, we have enjoyed it. The donations they made have solved one of the problems we listed,” she said.
The CEF team was led by its Executive Director, Mrs. Helen Egbe, who noted that the foundation has been in existence since 2014
She explained that the annual ‘Kit-a-child’ scheme is under CEF’s education portfolio.
Egbe said: “Under education, we try to help parents alleviate the poverty and challenges they are facing getting materials, such as notebooks and school bags for their kids.”
She continued, “What informed this Kit-a-child’ programme is that most of the children in public schools come to school without writing materials, bags, and school shoes. On one of my visits to one of the primary schools within the area of our head office, New City Primary School, Palm Avenue, Mushin, I noticed that some of the children were putting on torn uniforms and they came to school without writing materials.”
Among those present for the donation was Mrs. Azenabor Promise, a representative of the Lagos State government-funded EkoExcel, who praised CEF and urged other organisations to work with schools to help impoverished students.
