…as state gov’t calls for more diaspora collaboration on education

The World Bank-assisted Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) in Enugu State has distributed free learning materials to students with the aim of promoting education and eliminating out-of-school children in rural communities and urban areas of the state.

Distrubuting free school bags and exercise books to students at nursery, primary, and secondary schools in Mburubu community, Nkanu East LGA, on Thursday,
the state project coordinator of AGILE, Dr. Ebele Georgina Onuora, said the learning materials were sponsored by a diaspora charity organization, the Charity Adaze Foundation.

Dr. Ebele said the state was eager for such partnerships, adding that the initiative not only about distributing free school bags and exercise books, but was more importantly aimed at empowering and supporting the education of children in the rural communities, serve as a means of data collection and help in the sensitization against out-of-school children in the state.

She said: “This project is all about empowering children and supporting their education. Governor Peter Mbah is revolutionizing education in the state with the Smart Green Schools in the 260 wards which will be well-equipped in every aspect of technology to transform the lives of these children, and once they are through with the Smart School, they can compete with their peers across the globe.

“Our governor believes in human capital development. All he thinks about is to ensure that these kids that are out of school are in school and that we no longer have school dropouts in Enugu State,” she said.

While expressing delight about the partnership with the Charity Adaeze Foundation, she stressed the need for more collaborations with Enugu State diaspora organizations and other charity organizations that would improve the well-being of the people.

“We are encouraging and calling on our sons and daughters in the diaspora to emulate what the Charity Adaeze Foundation has done today. They heard about the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), and wrote to partner with the state government to give school bags to the kids because she understands that most of them in the rural areas do not have school bags.

“The students are so happy about the school bags and exercise books given to them. We are calling on others to emulate this, and assist the government in growing our state’s education sector,” she said.

Commending the state government and the Charity Adaeze Foundation for the initiative, the principal of Community Secondary School, Mburubu, Mrs. Joy Nkechi; the head teacher of Community Primary School, Mburubu, Mrs. Nwachukwu Eucharia; the head teacher of Community Nursery School 1, Mrs. Ede Chinyere; the senior prefect of the secondary school, Ogbonna Ugochukwu, and the head girl of the primary school, Ekwueme Mary, described the gesture as a major boost to their education.