Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, has put smiles on the faces of about 400 indigent school pupils with the provision of school bags and other materials ahead of their resumption next week Monday.
Dr. Oyebanji through her Back to School Programme for Vulnerable Children with beneficiaries drawn from the 16 local government Areas , said the initiative was aimed at making the pupils happy and make their return to school in a week’s time worthwhile.
Speaking while distributing the materials to the pupils in her office on Monday, Dr. Oyebanji said the Education Empowerment Programme was also to relieve the guardians and caregivers of the pupils the burden to be shouldered as the school resumes.
Each of the school bag contained a water bottle, a mathematical set, a small food warmer, six 60 Leaves exercise books for the kids who were all excited to receive the gifts from the First Lady. Each of the pupils also received transport allowance back to their destinations from the First Lady.
She explained that the gifts given to the kids was an opportunity to make an impact in their lives, give them a sense of belonging, support their education to motivate them to do well in their studies and ensure that their smooth resumption back to school was not hampered by poverty.
Dr. Oyebanji explained that the Back to School package for the indigent kids was an integral part of her pet project, Widows and Orphans Hope (WAOH) Project which would be formally unveiled in October to cater to the needs of the vulnerable segment of the population.
She emphasized that the scheme was not government sponsored but was bankrolled by her friends and partners urging privileged individuals, corporate bodies and interest groups to support her pet project with funds to enable her assist the poorest of the poor.
Dr. Oyebanji said: “This is not a political jamboree, this is not a government sponsored programme. It is with the support of my office, friends, partners. This is an opportunity for people and organizations to support our project so that we can make more impact on the lives of the vulnerable persons among us.
“Every week, I dropped N200,000 I. WAOH’s office to be shared to the needy widows but God has put us here to have impact on their lives. We have to give them live, we have to give them hope and we have to give them platform to assist them and give support to those who have been left on the fringes of the society.”
The Ekiti First Lady disclosed that orphans on tertiary institutions and other matured orphans who are not in schools would be accommodated when WAOH comes on stream in October for assistance yo assist them in their studies and vocations.
Dr. Oyebanji revealed that over 30,000 widows in the state had registered for various forms of assistance through her WAOH Project noting that the screening conducted for the intending beneficiaries had helped to identify their needs and how to meet them.
Speaking earlier, the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, lauded the First Lady for taking a personal interest in offering hope for the needy especially the widows and orphans noting that she, the the gesture, is sowing great seeds of impact into their lives.
The Deputy Governor said the Back to School Programme of the First Lady would boost the pupils’ interest in education and give them a sense of pride among their colleagues as the new school session is about to take off in the state.
She also commended Dr. Oyebanji for coming up with the WAOH initiative which she noted would alleviate the suffering encountered by widows and give them hope and joy in their time of need and give them a platform of economic empowerment.
The programme was attended by the Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bolaji Olagbaju, who led other lawmakers to the event; members of the state executive council, local government chairmen, top civil servants, labour leaders and other stakeholders in education Sector.