Ondo schoolgirl who turned ATM gallery light to reading lamp gets help

Each week, there seems to be a new revelation that hugs the spotlight on social media. Just days after the Sandra Gokada motorcyclist interview went viral leading to her gift of a car and the weekend’s revelation of a Borno State teacher, Mrs Obiagelli Mazi who was promoted by the governor, Babagana Zulum, for her uncommon punctuality, the newest rave of the moment is a schoolgirl who was spotted doing her homework in front of an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Ondo State.

The photo of a girl, simply identified as Dele, is presently melting hearts on social media. The schoolgirl was captured kneeling close to the ATM at a branch of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) along Yaba road in Ondo city.

A Twitter user Bada Maruf Matthew shared the photo last Wednesday and it has since gone viral evoking a series of reactions on the microblogging site.

Bada, who said he is the Education Secretary of Ondo West Local Government wrote, “I saw this little Dele at FCMB Bank along Yaba Road in Ondo City. She is using the ATM Gallery light to do her homework. My respect goes to her determination to make it in life. Let it go viral.”

Four days after Dele’s photo emerged on social media, FCMB has finally reacted with a promise to support her education. The bank quoted Bada’s viral tweet and wrote: “We are inspired by Dele’s determination to study. It’s great our ATM Gallery could light her books for the evening, but we would love to do more to support. Can you please help us find Dele? Please RT until it gets to someone who knows her.”

The bank urged social media users to help it locate the girl. Bada, who tweeted the photo has, however, shared an update, saying he has been able to locate the girl. He revealed that the little girl lives with her grandmother and she has been told about FCMB’s plan for her granddaughter.

“I have been able to locate her and her grandma. The grandmother and the proprietor of her school (Hope of Glory Academy) were well informed,” he tweeted.

“Even the Local Government authority is aware too. Necessary documents were collected to ascertain her identity before I proceeded. Many have responded to the post. The branch where I saw her has also responded. I was able to open an account for her last Friday, they asked me to come back tomorrow being 10/02/2020 for the details of the account.”

On Monday, details and images of Dele surfaced on social media, showing that she might have been found by the FCMB as she was pictured in a school uniform standing beside the same ATM. It was further revealed that she attends Hope Glory Academy in Ondo State.

Reacting, Twitter users blamed the lack of power supply for Dele’s resort to study at the FCMB’s ATM gallery. They also commended Dele for her determination to be educated.

One of them identified as Ondo First Born, said, “Ordinary lack of electricity could not stop or discourage her. Dele is a goal.”

Olivia Niola added, “I don’t know why God made me soo emotional, I’ll see things like this and immediately burst into tears.”