A non-profit community organisation, Jeremiah and Felicia Aderoju (JFA) Foundation, that is out to provide for the needs of the impoverished African communities has restated its commitment to educational advancement and determination to bring education within the grasp of the people in the rural communities, especially in Oyo State.
The founder, Mrs Elizabeth Olagunju (nee Aderoju) stated this in her speech at the at a programme tagged: ‘Educational Advancement of Jeremiah and Felicia Aderoju Foundation project at the Akinyele Local Government Area held at the Shasha Community Grammar School, Ibadan last Saturday.
The founder, who named the foundation after her parents, said the vision was birthed as a continuation of her father’s legacy on educational advancement, which he demonstrated in his exemplary community service in Eruwa, his home town.
“Throughout my elementary educational journey, ownership of books was out of my reach. I remember having to borrow books from my classmates who would reluctantly release them. Therefore, I had to do my assignment in their houses. Consequently in 2015, I decided to end the cycle of educational poverty with my generation,” she said.
While highlighting some of the achievements of the foundation she said that the foundation had donated individualised libraries to approximately 500 students across the state; provided school teachers and principals with free professional development materials to enhance their pedagogy and organised a nine-week academic free tutorial for about 400 SSS 3 students so far.
Others are provision of baby food, clothing and hygiene products to children of school age, coupled with other socioeconomic impacts such as women empowerment, digging of boreholes, youth empowerment, among others.
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Speaking about the event, representative of the founder in Nigeria, former vice chairman of Ibarapa East Local Government, Honourable Jacob Akintola, noted that “education is the foundation of every developed community and without it, there could be no proper advancement, hence the reason we have chosen to give out quality books, most of which are sent from overseas by the founder to alleviate part of the needs in various homes.”
In their remarks, one of the co-conveners of the event, Dr Elizabeth Ajayi confirmed that the project got the approval of the State Ministry Education before donating to schools in Akinyele Local Government Area.
Items donated are textbooks, toys, storybooks, and other educational materials to enhance reading and learning of students in the community.
According to the leader of the JFA Foundation team, Dr Adefowope Alabi, the foundation reached out to all the secondary schools in Akinyele Local Government Area, totalling 51 schools with 36 from public and 15 private schools .
While appreciating the foundation for the gesture on behalf the schools, Mr Akindehin Eyitayo and Mrs Mayowa Adebayo, from Orogun Grammar School, Kajorepo Community Grammar school, respectively said it is a good thing for students to cultivate the habit of reading, saying “it enriches their brains.”
They promised to ensure that their students read all the books, by creating a reading time for them in the school libraries during school hours as well as to the judicious use of the other education materials.
In the same vein, Dorcas Adeyemo, from Royal Diadem College, Alapata village and Goodness Popoola, from Collegiate Institute who thanked the founder on behalf of other students expressed their joy at the book’s donation. They said they would go a long way to enhance their studies and vocabularies.
Earlier, in his speech, the special assistant to the governor on Education Matters Mr Victor Olojede commended the founder and JFA team on the success of the capital-intensive project.
While he encouraged them not to relent in the effort of partnering with the government on education advancement in the state, he charged them to also give books that are in line with the state’s education curriculum.
and then