Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has called on stakeholders in the education sector to ensure continuous investment in the young ones to build a brighter and more educated society.
Dr. Oyebanji made the call in Ado Ekiti while distributing school bags containing educational materials – notebooks, food warmers, water bottles, and mathematical sets to students across the state. The initiative is an offshoot of Dr. Oyebanji’s pet project; ‘Widows, Aged and Orphan Hope project (WAOH).
Addressing stakeholders at the event, including the 500 beneficiaries, Dr Oyebanji remarked that the initiative tagged “Back to School” became imperative to equip the students with relevant tools and acknowledge education, in practical terms, as the cornerstone of every child’s development.
She said, “In total, 500 students will benefit from the various items but we will be making symbolic presentation to 200 of them here, while the remaining students will receive theirs at their respective local governments. These items may seem small, but they are vital in supporting the children’s educational journey.
“This initiative is a proof of our commitment to ensuring that every child in Ekiti State has the resources they need to thrive in school. I urge all the students receiving these materials to see it as morale booster, they should study hard and aim high.” Dr Oyebanji added.
To this end, the governor’s wife encouraged all the well to do men and women in the society to replicate the gesture in their respective locations so as to support the initiative and thereby reduce the number of out of school children.
Earlier, the WAOH Coordinator, Mrs Kemi Dairo had expressed confidence that the materials distributed would go a long way in giving relief to parents whose critical needs were being met at the time pupils were getting ready to go back to school for new academic session.
She reçalled that last year’s edition of the programme which captured four hundred pupils would continue to resonate within and outside the state because it impacted greatly and motivated the beneficiaries to do well in their studies.
In their good will messages, Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Monisde Afuye, Head of Service, Dr Folake Olomojobi, Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye, Commissioner for women Affairs Mrs peju Babafemi, among others appealed to the beneficiaries to be more committed to their studies and charged parents not to leave the upbringing of their children for government alone.
While appreciating the initiator of the programme, beneficiaries of the back-to-school initiative promised to use the school materials for the purpose they were meant for.