By Gloria Ikibah
As away of giving back to the society the Rotary Club of Abuja City District 9127, has distributed educational materials and welfare support to pupils of L.E.A. Primary School, Jahi Kado-Kuchi to assist disadvantaged children and promote school attendance.
The intervention which formed part of the club’s “Back to School” and “Street to School” campaigns aimed at helping vulnerable pupils remain in the classroom despite economic hardship. 
During the outreach on Thursday in partnered with non-governmental organisations Dream Awake Empowering Initiative and JFF Foundation, the children were provided with school bags, sandals, socks, exercise books, writing materials and first aid supplies. Many of the pupils had reportedly been attending classes without basic educational items needed for learning.
The initiative was welcomed by the school’s headmistress, Mrs Arhanmudhe Edith, who described the support as a timely intervention that will positively impact the wellbeing and confidence of the pupils.
She explained that representatives of the Rotary Club had earlier visited the school to conduct a needs assessment before rolling out the project, ensuring that the assistance addressed the most pressing needs of the children.
Arhanmudhe disclosed that some of the items donated included bags, sandals, stockings, exercise books, pencils, erasers and materials for the school’s first aid box.
“The very first day they came to the school, they moved from one class to another to identify the needs of the pupils and the school in general. Today, they came in a very big way to touch the lives of these children.
“In fact, I was carried away. They even ensured that our first aid box was properly stocked for emergency treatment of pupils. They are truly giving back to society,” she added.
She called on individuals, organisations and NGOs to support vulnerable children, as se emphasised that government alone cannot meet the burden of education and child welfare.
“Government cannot do everything. We need more organisations like Rotary Club and foundations that will go into schools to find out what children truly need and support them,” she added.
President of the Rotary Club of Abuja City, Rotarian Gloria Ikibah, said the outreach was driven by concerns over the growing number of children attending school without essential learning materials.
She said that the initiative was carried out in collaboration with the Dream Awake Empowering Initiative and JHH Foundation.
Rotarian Ikibah explained that while the club had previously supported pupils through the payment of school fees and PTA levies, this year’s intervention focused more on providing educational materials and welfare items in response to the country’s current economic challenges.
“When I visited the school, I saw children without shoes, some wearing torn slippers, while others carried their books in nylon bags. That informed our decision to intervene after conducting a proper needs assessment.
“We gave out bags, socks, school sandals, exercise books, writing materials and also supported the staff. Rotary’s focus on basic education and disease prevention informed this project,” she stated.
She therefore called on Nigerians to imbibe the culture of giving, stressing that humanitarian gestures should not be limited to members of Rotary International.
“You don’t have to be a Rotarian before helping someone. If your neighbour’s child lacks shoes or a school bag, there is nothing wrong in reaching out. Putting smiles on people’s faces comes with blessings too,” she added.
Representative of Dream Awake Empowering Initiative, Adejoh Solomon, said the organisation partnered with the Rotary Club to bridge the gap confronting underprivileged school children.
He called on the government to intensify efforts toward improving children’s welfare in public schools, particularly by providing uniforms and enforcing monitoring mechanisms.
“We are here to ameliorate the sufferings of these children and close the gap for pupils coming to school without sandals, bags or writing materials. We want to give them a sense of belonging among their peers.
“Government should make efforts to provide school uniforms the same way NYSC uniforms are provided. There should also be monitoring teams to ensure children are not coming to school barefooted or without learning materials,” he said.
Assistant Governor of Rotary District 9127, Rotarian Guobadia Imafidon, said the intervention formed part of the organisation’s ongoing efforts to keep children in school and improve access to education for vulnerable pupils.
He explained that the “Street to School” initiative was created to help move children away from street life and reintegrate them into the classroom through continuous educational support.
“We want this to become a regular project. We will continue to return to provide bags, shoes, reading and writing materials so that every child benefits at different stages,” he said.
Imafidon noted that collaborations with organisations such as the Dream Awake Empowering Initiative and the Joyful Hearts Initiative had strengthened the Rotary Club’s ability to extend support to a larger number of pupils and families.
“With more partners, we will be able to do more for the children and the school community,” he added.
