By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
A group, the National Association of Seadogs(NAS), Ash Montana Deck, has provided school bags, writing materials, water bottles among other items to over 400 pupils to curb school drop – out rate in 11 downtrodden communities in Wasimi, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The NAS Ash Montana deck donated the items in conjunction with Treasured Points of Light, a charity organisation.
The elated children who are between age two and 15 years, were appreciative of the gestures, with some of them commending the NAS Ash Montana Deck for the educational support, saying it is both encouraging and burden – lifting off their parents/guardians’ shoulders.
Addressing the pupils, Capon Omitogun Ganiyu, Ash Montana Deck, urged them to be good children, be punctual to school and attentive to their teachers in order to do well and fit into the role of future leaders.
Ganiyu said that though education is free in Ogun State but stressed that it is actually not totally free hence the need to support indigent children from the undeserved communities, so as to minimize school drop – out rate or out – of – school children in the area.
Ganiyu said, “Yesterday was International Literacy Day. And today is still about Safe School. So, we look at this area as one of the downtrodden where you have poor people and it is part of the NAS Street Child project meant to bring children that are out -of – school and return them to school.
”The essence is to integrate and reintegrate them back to school so that they can learn and acquire education. We discovered that the state government has already provided free education but it is not totally free.
”What we are doing is to provide school bags, writing materials, water bottles etc so that their parents and guardiance are encouraged to send their children/wards to school. With education, these children will be enlightened and empowered to choose appropriately between right and wrong. It is a yearly project to commemorate the World Literacy Day and Safe School.”
