From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Victims Support Fund (VSF), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has donated twelve thousand litres of solar-powered boreholes to three primary and secondary schools in Cross River state.
The benefitting schools are Primary School, Okurike Agwaguene in Biase, Community Secondary School, Uchu Yache in Yala and Abote Comprehensive Secondary School, Ekureku in Abi LGA of Cross River State.
Speaking during the symbolic commissioning of Primary School Okurike borehole, the chairperson, Victims Support Fund COVID-19 Taskforce, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, said Cross River is the 35th state in the federation to benefit from the fund.
Toyosi said addition to the borehole, they are giving boreholes to 200 schools in two other senatorial districts as VSF’s way of coming to support the state.
“We don’t just throw money at projects but ensure that we are maximizing impact on our intended beneficiaries.
“The VSF has the responsibility to go into the hinterlands, rural communities that were hitherto forgotten perhaps by the government and individuals to really do programmes that can touch People’s lives.
“The children here need water and the important thing is that projects like this will benefit the entire community”, she said.
VSF chairperson enumerated part of the interventionist projects to include distribution of health facilities and consumables, food items, provision of boreholes among several others.
She stressed that the the Organisation has made serious impact by touching several lives that may have been forgotten by many.
Ogunsiji added that the Organisation had to scale up it’s interventionist programme to meet up with the numerous challenges associated with outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that brought setbacks to economies of households.
In his earlier remarks, representative of Okurike community, Chief Dickson Ogban, said the community is pleased with the project, adding that the water project would help in solving the water challenge faced by residents of the community.
Head Teacher of Okurike Presbyterian Primary School PCN, Mrs Jessie Okorie, commended TY Danjuma’s Organisation for extending his hand of fellowship through the water scheme project.
She said the project will ease the challenge faced by pupils and the entire community.