Members of Ntezi Community in Ishielu Local Council of Ebonyi State have contributed money to provide white board and other school amenities for public schools in the community
The fund was contributed by no fewer than 300 members of the community who came together to form an association named Ntezi People’s Forum (N-PeF) to implement a project tagged SMART Project—Schools Marker-board Advancement for Reliable Teaching.
The fund enabled the community to deliver whiteboards to public schools across Ntezi, providing teachers and students with essential tools to enhance learning and make it more interactive and meaningful.
Founder of N-PeF SMART Project, Zack Onwe, while handing over the project, said: “Funding came entirely from community members mobilised through a WhatsApp group of over 300 members. This initiative demonstrates the power of collective action and community ownership, showing that meaningful change does not always start with government.
“Communities can support their own development while awaiting on government or external people for support. When we take ownership of our problems and contribute, even in small ways, we can transform our schools and secure a better future for our children,” he said.
The project team, including Uchenna Ogadu and Akpuro Sunday Prosper, visited several schools to hand over the whiteboards and assess conditions. Unfortunately, while some classrooms were bustling with pupils eager to learn, some others had low attendance, understaffing, and in certain cases, empty school compounds.
“What we saw is deeply worrying. Some of our schools appear abandoned, and many classrooms lack teachers.
As a group, we are doing our best, but we need urgent government intervention to address these challenges.
Every community is as good as its thoroughly educated population, who clearly understand what education is meant to achieve,” Ogadu explains.
At Community Primary School, Ulepa Ntezi, the team was met with excitement and gratitude, with pupils eager to use the new resources.
Meanwhile, at Ntezi Community Secondary School (Ozuma-Etta), students and members of staff pledged to make the most of the intervention, highlighting how even small improvements can inspire hope and learning.
The N-PeF team also paid a courtesy visit to the Igwe of Ntezi, Ezeogo Francis Edechukwu (Ezeudo I of Ntezi), who praised the initiative for advancing community-led development.
“This is the true meaning of community development. When people take responsibility for their future, the entire community benefits. I commend the Ntezi People’s Forum for this remarkable effort,” Igwe of Ntezi said.
For Onwe, the SMART Project is about more than just whiteboards. It is part of a vision to improve community ownership across Africa, starting from one community at a time.
“We want you to join us as true development happens when communities are empowered to shape their own future.”
