From Nigeria Unites Charity, honour comes for selfless service

For their commitment developing young minds and helping communities through selfless service, two organisations, Abolarin College and Stay In School Initiative, were recently honoured in Lagos at the Nigeria Unites Charity Award.

Abolarin College, in Oke-Ila Orangun, Osun State, is a privately funded full scholarship boarding secondary school for the less privileged. Founded by Kabiyesi Adedokun Abolarin, the college protects the right to quality education for the rural poor by providing modern facilities and equipment. It also helps in the recruitment of quality teachers and supplementary curricula to help the youths adequately prepared for post secondary opportunities and success to compete in the market place. The college currently has fifty-four students and employs five teachers, six youth corps members and six non-teaching staff.

On the other hand, Stay In School Initiative (SISI), founded by Tricia Ikponmwonba, is an education intervention programme that seeks to reduce the number of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria through sponsorship and capacity building. The organisation’s main focus is on orphans and vulnerable children living in underdeveloped communities and slums. It currently serves children in five communities across Lagos and Abuja.

The project has worked with 100 plus volunteers and raises funds through an annual fundraising event- football for a cause and also donations from well meaning individuals. Children that complete primary school education under the SISI platform sit for a sponsorship examination and successful candidates are rewarded with secondary school and tertiary education scholarship.

Other initiatives that got nominated for the award include Help Meet A Need Foundation, PATA’s Mary’s Home, and Alliance for Youth Development, a youth led initiative that equips school adolescents and youths with life building skills thereby empowering them for leadership roles in their communities and the nation at large.

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Oba Adedokun Abolarin thanked the organisers for recognising their efforts. He noted that, though he never wanted to be a king, now that he’s one, the platform is meant to complement government efforts.

“All hands must be on deck; the future you are not likely to be a part of must be great. It’s important to use the past to build the future and we are not doing it; we are just sucking from the system, we are not giving back. We cannot continue like this, what God has endowed you with, you must use it positively. It is a great opportunity and it just tells us that all of us must be selfless, but in my little way, am trying to be a builder, a restoral of hope,” he said.

He disclosed that the students are taught to be self sufficient, as they would be responsible for their education in the university.

“We have 54 students in JSS 1 and 2 and when the new session starts, the JSS 3 would come on stream. It is a boarding school, we pray we continue to sustain it,” the monarch said.

Toyosi Lana, the brain behind Nigeria Unites, informed that the award is aimed at encouraging people to engage in selfless service, adding that each of the awardees got N250,000 each.

Imagneto, a dance group, and Renegade theatre spiced the event with colourful performances.