By Remi Koleoso
Ikere-Ekiti. -. Worldsmith Life Builders’ Foundation, (WOLIBUF), an NGO, involved in welfare of school children has donated school uniforms to 31 pupils of primary schools in Ikere-Ekiti worth over N100,000.
Mrs Olukemi Akinleye, the Executive Director of the Foundation, presented 20 school uniforms to pupils of St. Mark’s Primary School, Afao, Ikere-Ekiti and another 11 uniforms to pupils of All Saints Anglican Nursery/Primary School, Odo-Oja, Ikere-Ekiti on Wednesday.
She said that giving to the less privileged in the society was a core objective of the Foundation.
She said that the Foundation which was incorporated in 2016, under the name, “Kit the Kids” initiative has a target of kitting 500 pupils in public primary schools across Ekiti State in its first phase.
She said that this was due to the glaring inability of some parents to meet the demands of their wards due to the economic situation in the country as well as the Board of Trustees of the Foundation’s resolve to give back to the society.
“The main motivation is passion, and the Foundation’s Trustees have a passion for the youth, for the well-being of the less privileged, the children and the young ones who are the future of this country.
“So, we do not have a choice, but to take care of them. Moreover, there have been so many, now occupying high positions in the society, who were almost in similar situations that sometimes in their lives when they were growing up, they were helpless because of the inadequacies in their families.
“So, the decision of the Foundation to help the less privileged was deliberate to give hope to the hopeless and love to those in emotional trauma.
“To assure them that we are interested in their well-being, in their upbringing, we are interested in their advancement and we will always come around to visit them to show that some of us still love and care for them,” she said.
Also speaking, Pastors Jide Akinleye and Bolanle Wale-Awe, both members of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, said the decision to flag off the Initiatives was to lift up the pupil’s spirit and emotions.
“We took it upon ourselves to kit the kids sometime in October, 2018 when we attended the retirement service for Mrs Oludoro and that was where we made the commitment that we need to lift up their spirit and emotions by coming around and provide in our little ways for their needs and give them a sense of belonging.”
Expressing gratitude, Mrs Kemi Adewumi and Mrs Ayo Ariyo, head teachers of the two benefitting schools, said it was a great thing that the Foundation donated the school uniforms and used the opportunity to solicit assistance in some other areas for the schools.
The Permanent Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Folakemi Oladimeji, commended the spirit behind the donation which she said was the passion of the founder to bring smiles to the faces of the needy.
According to the Permanent Secretary, represented by the Director, Academic Services of the board, Mrs Christianah Bamikole, this times shows those who are passionate about meeting the needs of the less privileged.
“What the Foundation has done today shows that its efforts were based on passion and commitment to the plight of the downtrodden.
“We can only commend them and urge them to continue to identify with the educational development focus of the Gov. Kayode Fayemi-led administration,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to the head teachers of the schools for taking good care of the children and providing them with a very conducive learning environment.
She, however, appealed to the Foundation not to make the donation a one-off thing, but a continuous exercise which she promised would go beyond just donating things, but taking care of big projects that any of the schools might have.
