In a significant educational intervention marking the International Day of Education, the Afiz Olajiri Foundation has successfully returned thirty out-of-school children to LEA Primary School, Gosa Sarki, located in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. This initiative, conducted in collaboration with the school's Parent-Teacher Association, provides comprehensive educational support to children from low-income and hard-to-reach communities.
Full Educational Support Package Provided
The foundation has equipped the thirty beneficiaries with complete educational kits, including school uniforms, footwear, bags, textbooks, and exercise books. Furthermore, the organization has covered their tuition fees and committed to sponsoring their education through primary school and beyond, contingent upon good conduct and regular attendance.
Founder's Vision: Education as Fundamental Access
Afeez Olajire, founder of the Afiz Olajiri Foundation, emphasized during the event that education represents fundamental access rather than privilege. He stated that many children face barriers to success primarily due to funding limitations that block educational access.
"Impact is not measured by political power or position. What separates many children from success is simply access to education, and that access is often blocked by funding," Olajire declared, clarifying that his foundation operates without political ambitions.
Strategic Selection of Beneficiaries
The thirty children were carefully selected by the Parent-Teacher Association based on two crucial criteria: demonstrated good conduct and parental willingness to return their children to formal education. Gosa Sarki was deliberately chosen as an intervention site due to its status as a vulnerable community where many parents desire education for their children but lack financial capacity.
Head Teacher Praises Life-Changing Intervention
Mrs. Nabila Salihu Maigari, Head Teacher of LEA Primary School, Gosa Sarki, described the foundation's intervention as both timely and transformative for the affected children. She revealed that some beneficiaries travel from remote villages, including crossing rivers, to attend school.
"These children are not even from within this community. Some come from villages where you must cross a river to reach the school," Maigari explained, highlighting the geographical challenges facing educational access in the region.
Revealing Statistics on Out-of-School Children
The head teacher disclosed alarming statistics, noting that in Maweya village alone, over 180 children remain out of school due to financial constraints. She detailed how school authorities collaborated with village chiefs and parents to identify and mobilize potential beneficiaries once they learned about the foundation's initiative.
Call for Government-NGO Collaboration
Maigari made a passionate appeal to the Federal Capital Territory Administration and relevant educational authorities to establish stronger collaborative frameworks with credible non-governmental organizations supporting education.
"We are appealing to the government to assist NGOs that are genuinely helping in education. With collaboration, they will be able to do more, not just for this community but for the country at large," she urged, emphasizing the multiplier effect such partnerships could achieve.
Foundation's Broader Humanitarian Focus
Beyond educational interventions, Olajire revealed that the Afiz Olajiri Foundation engages in multiple humanitarian projects including water access initiatives, skills acquisition programs, and vocational training. The foundation currently sponsors youths to culinary schools as part of its comprehensive approach to community development.
"When people lack education, skills, or clean water, they are just one step away from crisis. What we are doing is bridging that gap and giving people access to opportunity," Olajire explained, outlining the foundation's holistic development philosophy.
Expanding Reach Across Nigeria
The founder confirmed that similar educational interventions are currently underway in Abeokuta, Lagos, and Ibadan, stressing that all foundation activities remain strictly humanitarian and non-political in nature. This multi-state approach demonstrates the organization's commitment to addressing educational disparities across various Nigerian communities.
The successful return of thirty out-of-school children in Abuja serves as a model for how targeted interventions, when properly implemented with community involvement, can make substantial impacts on educational access in Nigeria.
