From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Awka N’Aso Enwe Foundation has commenced the distribution of about 3,000 schoolbags, books and some writing materials to pupils in 12 public primary schools in Awka town, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The exercise, which would last for three days, was the foundation’s back to school project for the year 2021, and was being carried out in collaboration with Chibueze Ezenagu Foundation (CEF).
The benefiting schools are Agulu Awka Primary School, Practicing School, Nnebuzo Primary School, Ikwodiaku Primary School, Ayom N’Okpala Primary School, and Nkwelle Primary School.
Others are: Udeozo Primary School, Udoka Primary School, Ezioka Primary School, Igwebueze Primary School, Unity Primary School, Umuokpu and Community Primary School, Umuokpu.
Coordinator of Awka N’Aso Enwe Foundation, Christian Ofodile, while fielding questions from journalists shortly after handing over the items to the pupils at Nnebuzo Primary School, Umubele village, Awka, on Tuesday, said that the move was to support the SDG goal on education.
“Today, we are taking off with our back to school project. Awka N’Aso Enwe Foundation in collaboration with Chibueze Ezenagu Foundation, are reaching out to pupils from primary one to six in the 12 public schools in Awka town.
“This is our way of supporting the SDG goal on education which maintains that a child should be bequeathed with basic education and every other thing will follow. That’s the universal basic education.
“We are here today to continue what we started in 2019 and also to talk to them; a kind of orientation exercise.
“We are giving out schoolbags donated by Chibueze Ezenagu Foundation, exercise books raised by Awka N’Aso Enwe Foundation. The criteria are that the pupils must be Awka indigenes and they must be in public schools.
“We are also using this medium to promote going to public school because we have seen a trend where virtually every family would want to have their children in private schools.
“As we are taking off from this school, Nnebuzo Primary School, Umubele Awka, we are reaching out to five other schools today. Tomorrow we’ll go to another set of schools, about three or four and the next day we will go to the last four”, he said.
Asked if the foundations did not consider it discriminatory to give only to pupils of Awka origin, he said: “We don’t have intentions to discriminate against anyone.”
“Awka N’Aso Enwe Foundation, as the name goes, is an incorporated community based organization with the Corporate Affairs Commission. And I can boldly say, too, that we have also been enlisted on the United Nations platform for NGOs. That was two years ago and we are still processing the rest.
“Part of what we are doing is to promote education amongst our people. And for lack of resources, we’ll not be able to provide what will go round to all the pupils in each school. And that is why we have chosen to focus on our pupils”, he added.
Founder of Chibueze Ezenagu Foundation (CEF), Chibueze Ezenagu, said that he supported the project because it was for the good of their people.
“Me, being a son of the soil, I am also a member of Awka N’Aso Enwe Foundation. I think it’s a very good thing that we are trying to do within our community to make sure that we encourage these kids to go to school”, he said.