Groups donate learning kits to 100 less privileged children in lkorodu

To enhance learning capacity of the less-privileged in Ikorodu community, Lagos, The Helpmates Youth Foundation (THF) has established partnership with the Gift-A-School-Kit initiative, a non-governmental organisation to donate educational materials to 100 children in the area.

The beneficiaries who are pupils of the Local Government Primary School, Majidun, Ikorodu, received notebooks, school bags, pencils, biros, rulers, school sandals, and other items.

Speaking at the disbursement ceremony at the school in lkorodu, Founder and Executive Director of THF, Mrs. Rasheedat Opere, said quality education is the bedrock of any successful community, hence the need to support a community like Ikorodu, where there are large number of pupils who lack basic materials to learn in school.

Opere noted that it is disheartening that about 70 per cent of children in Nigeria are suffering from learning poverty, which means children not able to read, write and understand simple text by age of 10.

She said: “The figure is frightening and we feel there is a need to cushion the effect by helping children in underserved communities to help them learn effectively. Many Children in underserved communities in Africa have no writing materials that can help them do well in school. THF is borne out of the ever-increasing necessity to ensure that youths take charge of their future through organised symposia and mentoring programs.

“We partnered with Gift-A-School-Kit Initiative, a platform created by Mahmud Adeleye, who is a software developer dedicated to helping less privileged kids in Africa to have access to quality education. We started in 2016 through a pre-launch in a school in Yaba and years after years; we have been doing this exercise. This is our sixth intervention so far across Lagos.”

Opere explained that THF embarked on research to determine the selected beneficiaries of the materials, adding that with the large figure of children who are still underserved, the government needs to increase allocation for education and improve quality of learning in schools.

Representative of Local Government Education Authority, Ikorodu, Mrs. Adeniji Foluke, lauded the foundation for commitment towards educational development across local councils in Lagos.

According to her, the intervention will boost performance of the beneficiaries, who are sound academically, but from average family background.

She said most of the children lack good sandals, school bags and writing materials, adding that some of the pupils still wear bathroom slippers to school.

Head Teacher of the school, Mr. Familusi Gabriel Oluwagbemiga, said the donations will go a long way in improving interest, learning and performance of the pupils.