Three thousand five hundred vulnerable children forced out of school by the activities of herdsmen attacks, insurgency and poverty in southern Adamawa state have began to enjoy tuition free education, daily feeding and free medical care, after a faith based organisation built a four hundred pupil capacity brand new school and a health facility for the community.
The facilities, InnerCity Mission for children and the Trauma Care Foundation, are targeted specifically for children who have been displaced by herdsmen attacks and the health facility is designed to provide trauma care support and deal with other related health challenges affecting the area as a result of the security challenges.
Speaking on the goal of the project, Pastor Omoh Alabi of the Chris Oyakhilome foundation explained that, “The foundation has for over eight years, supported a number of initiatives within Nigeria and beyond and have empowered and impacted over five hundred communities in twenty three African countries reaching in excess of over one million people.
“The school and health care projects represents our firm belief in the use and provision of quality education and healthcare as a tool to build and develop Adamawa state and our country Nigeria.
“While the school would provide quality, tuition free education and daily meals to feed vulnerable, out of school and at-risk children, the healthcare center would aid continuous and comprehensive care to patients and help improve health and security through such measures as community engagement and education in Demsa and all its environs.”
She said, “A tuition free primary and nursery education is key to the foundations essence of giving hope to vulnerable children in order fast track development in communities.”
Adding that, “School uniforms, books, writing materials and meals, will be given free of charge and a bus will be provided to convey the students to school on daily a basis and medication will also be free especially for women and children.”
She further explained that the foundation in Adamawa state will be reaching out to three thousand five hundred pupils with the aim of bring them back to school saying presently 120 pupils have already enroll but the school has the capacity to accommodate about four hundred pupils and the facility is equipped with modern equipment to could give its pupils the best education.
The Deputy Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Pwamwakeno Mackondo, praised the efforts of the Chris Oyakhilome foundation and the kind gesture done to the people of the zone with the citing of the projects there.
He promised to sponsored a bill at the house of Assembly to stimulate the state government to construct a road from the Yola-Numan main road into the community where the school is situated..
Makondo- said, “The state government will provide security and protection for the school and the health centre.
“I will also sponsor a bill for the construction of a road leading into the school.”
The Chairperson of Widows Association, Adamawa state chapter, Hilda Makanto said, the school and healthcare facilities are a prayer answered by for the community as a result of the debilitating effect of the attacks on the entire area.
Hilda said, “The foundation’s choice of location for both the school and the health centre is a sign that the founadtion has been directed by God.”
Makanto called on the host community to jealously guard the edifice from vandals and take advantage of the facilities to improve their lives.”
The Deputy governor of Delta State, Kingsley Otuaro while commissioning the school and the health centre, called on the government, well-meaning individuals and other organisations to emulate the foundation’s action and invest more in education in order to deliver our people from poverty.
He also commended the foundation for its heavy humanitarian investment and calling on the host community to protect the edifice and support the staff that are employed to work in school and the health centre.
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