After seven years of lack of access to clean water, the Rotary Club of Falomo District 9110 yesterday unveiled a solar-powered water project at the St George’s Girls Primary in Ikoyi, Lagos State.
As part of its annual project for host communities, the club also renovated and upgraded toilet facilities, provided hygiene resources, and presented school uniforms to the pupils, in addition to the planting of trees and presentation of potties.
Tagged ‘WASH’ in schools, the project is one of Rotary’s areas of focus in basic education, literacy, water, and sanitation, using its available expertise and resources.
Speaking at a brief ceremony before unveiling the various projects, the Governor of District 9110, Mrs Omotunde Lawson, acknowledged the Rotary Club of Falomo for always being at the forefront of implementing community-based projects, adding that it is part of giving back to society.
Also, the President of the Rotary Club of Falomo, Mr Tolulope Ogundipe, said the club is committed to finding solutions to common challenges in the host communities, stressing that the WASH project had solved the teething problems in the primary school.
He said, “One thing about Rotary Club is the commitment to what we do. We are delighted that the pupils are excited about the projects. This project was conceived by the past executive but implemented by us because of continuity, which is the hallmark of good leadership. Public officeholders should borrow a leaf from this.”
Further explaining the projects, the immediate-past governor of District 9110, Mr Remi Bello, said the Rotary Club of Falomo is one of the 15 clubs in the country that keyed into the WASH programme which touches on the foundation of the organisation.
According to him, an initial deposit of N1m by the club gave rise to over N3m grant that was used in executing the projects.
Similarly, a former President of the Club, Mrs Ijeoma Onyeador, said during the needs assessment tour of the school, it was discovered that there had not been clean water in the last seven years.
She expressed delight that the over N3m grant that was secured had been used to provide succour via projects that will have long-lasting effects on the school.
Other areas of focus, according to the Service Project Director of Rotary Club Falomo, Mr Ibrahim Sule, include tree planting, provision of notebooks and story books for pupils in primaries 1, 2, and 3, and careers talks.
Sule said the Club would continue to maintain the toilet facilities and other projects to ensure functionality.
“We intend to maintain these projects for them, it is not just provision alone of the facilities alone but its maintenance. This is one of our adopted schools,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the school, the Chairperson of the Central School-Based Management Committee in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Mrs Blessing Osuji, said the pupils were already excited that they now have functional toilet facilities.
While commending the club for the gesture, Osuji promised that the facilities would be judiciously utilised.
Meanwhile, consumer giant, Unilever Nigeria Plc, distributed one of their products, Pepsodent, and also trained the pupils on how to brush their teeth, while JUST FOODS gave ice cream to all the pupils, teachers and guests at the event.
