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| Mrs Judith Amaechi, wife of the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the initiator of the Israel Ibeleme Foundation, Mr. Israel Ibeleme giving school bags and books to the students |
By Lizzy Okoji
The Israel Ibeleme Foundation on Wednesday awarded scholarships to five outstanding less privileged students of the Junior Secondary (JSS) School, Fossa, FCT, Abuja.
Mr. Israel Ibeneme, who established the foundation, said that the students would be supported with their school fees and writing materials all through the secondary school level.
He said that the educational project would also touch the lives of 900 students, while 24 students would receive school bags with complete writing materials and 20 chairs would be donated for the use of teachers.
“My mission is to impart meaning to the lives of our people, especially by helping the poor.
“This is the eleventh year of this project and this programme is being carried out to touch lives of many people.
“I started this foundation in 2006 by helping the elderly with just N10, 000, after which I embarked on another project that helped 150 people and later, 2,000 people and more.
“Last year, we visited an IDPs camp in the FCT and assisted over 1,000 victims of insurgency from North East, Nigeria.
“We will continue to strive to assist people in need, to give them a better life and build their hopes against all odds,” Ibeleme said.
Ibeleme urged well to do
Nigerians to endeavour to assist the less privileged in however little way they
could, adding that one must not be a rich man to touch lives.
Nigerians to endeavour to assist the less privileged in however little way they
could, adding that one must not be a rich man to touch lives.
He admonished Nigerians in the
spirit of the forthcoming yuletide to remember those in need, especially the
displaced and less privileged.
spirit of the forthcoming yuletide to remember those in need, especially the
displaced and less privileged.
Ibeleme also urged the
beneficiaries of the scholarship, prizes and all other students to remain
focused in their academics, keep away from vices, be law abiding and strive to
become great.
beneficiaries of the scholarship, prizes and all other students to remain
focused in their academics, keep away from vices, be law abiding and strive to
become great.
He said that the foundation
planned to visit other schools across the country to carry out similar
intervention.
planned to visit other schools across the country to carry out similar
intervention.
Also speaking, Judith Amaechi,
Wife of the Minister of Transportation, congratulated the recipients of the
scholarship and urged them to take their studies seriously as it was the only
path to success.
Wife of the Minister of Transportation, congratulated the recipients of the
scholarship and urged them to take their studies seriously as it was the only
path to success.
Amaechi, who is also the founder
of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), pledged to pay the school fees of
the scholarship recipients to support the course of the Isreal Ibeleme
Foundation.
of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), pledged to pay the school fees of
the scholarship recipients to support the course of the Isreal Ibeleme
Foundation.
She promised to take the request
and complains of the school to the relevant authorities in order to address
them.
and complains of the school to the relevant authorities in order to address
them.
She called on Nigerians to remain
their brothers’ keepers as a simple show of love and concern could restore hope
to millions of hopeless people and prevent them from perpetuating crime by
seeking better life.
their brothers’ keepers as a simple show of love and concern could restore hope
to millions of hopeless people and prevent them from perpetuating crime by
seeking better life.
In his remarks, Mr. Michael Achi,
Principal of the JSS Gosa, appreciated the Isreal Ibeleme Foundation for
choosing the school as one of the beneficiaries of its educational outreach.
Principal of the JSS Gosa, appreciated the Isreal Ibeleme Foundation for
choosing the school as one of the beneficiaries of its educational outreach.
He said that the gesture by the
foundation was a ray of hope to the younger generation and less privileged
whose hopes were previously dashed.
foundation was a ray of hope to the younger generation and less privileged
whose hopes were previously dashed.
Achi urged the recipients of the
award to take this as a challenge for more hard work in order not to disappoint
the gesture.
award to take this as a challenge for more hard work in order not to disappoint
the gesture.
He called on the government to
assist the school by providing more seats for the classrooms, writing materials
and rehabilitating dilapidated structures.
assist the school by providing more seats for the classrooms, writing materials
and rehabilitating dilapidated structures.
