ABEOKUTA – As part of its 2025 back-to-school outreach programme themed join hands, raise hope, a Non-governmental Organisation, Treasured Points of Light Foundation in collaboration with Ash Montana Deck (National Association of Seadogs) distributed essential items to primary and secondary school pupils from nine villages sorunding Wasimi, Ewekoro local government area of Ogun state, including school bags, shoes, lunch bags, food flasks, water bottles, and stationery.
This initiative, according to the NGO, aims to support and encourage children from less privileged backgrounds ahead of the school resumption next week.
The President of the foundation, Damilola Onebamhoin, on Tuesday, expressed that no fewer than 400 students have already benefited from these free educational materials. She emphasised that this effort was intended to support underserved children
Onebamhoin said “this year’s outreach theme is join hands, raise hope. We have seen people in this community who can’t go back to school. We don’t want these children to be hopeless. We want to give these children hope. Our aim is to support the SDG 4 goal where every child should have at least a basic kind of education.
We have on our registered list a total of 328 school pupil, however we have made provisions for no fewer for 400 students such as school bags, mathematical sets, lunch bags amongst others than can encourage them back to school, we ensure that children get it when they come for back to school here.”
Speaking further, Onebamhoin charged government not to forget school children, particularly those living and schooling in underserved communities.
She said, ” We can’t focus on children in urban communities and leave the children in the villages. They also need to encourage them to go back to school. We hope the government can shine the light by encouraging literacy in underserved communities. ”
On his part, the Capon, Ash Montana Deck, National Association of Seadogs, Omitogun Adeyemi said the group is known to be involved in literacy and advocacy programmes and is positioned to encourage children back to school.
He said, “one of our advocacy tools is street child project. This is a way of giving back to the children. Our only concern is that the strong should protect the weak, the rich to protect the poor, the informed should give to the non informed. ”
“This move is to appeal to the rich and well to do in the society to encourage children going back to school because we know government cannot do it alone. For us, we believe in giving back. Aside from this, we have been doing other programmes that have helped the public. The main purpose is that we want a just and egalitarian society that is free from discrimination against color, sex, ethnic group.”
