The Wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has renewed scholarship support for 50 indigent pupils and distributed educational and personal items to enable them to resume school comfortably.
Oyebanji made this known in Ado-Ekiti while distributing the items and financial assistance to beneficiaries of the Renewal Back-to-School Scholarship Programme organised by the Widows and Orphans Hope Support Foundation.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, the governor’s wife urged the beneficiaries to remain focused, disciplined and committed to their studies, regardless of their present circumstances.
She described the initiative as one of the key interventions under the Widows, Aged and Orphans Hope (WAOH) programme, aimed at improving the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable women and children.
According to her, 19 beneficiaries transitioning from primary to secondary school will receive N90,000 each, payable directly to their schools to cover feeding expenses in boarding schools, while each will also receive N10,000 as pocket money.
She said the beneficiaries would also receive essential educational and personal items, including sandals, blankets, pillowcases, raincoats or umbrellas, bedsheets, mattresses, canvas shoes, towels, clothing, pyjamas, mosquito nets and cutlery.
Others, she said, included torchlights and batteries, reading lamps, handkerchiefs, buckets, washing basins, socks, lockers, chairs, bathroom slippers, sportswear, cupboards and appropriate school uniforms.
Oyebanji said the remaining 31 beneficiaries in primary schools would receive N25,000 each for their upkeep, in addition to the essential educational and personal items.
She urged the students to study diligently, respect their teachers and guardians, maintain discipline and remain conscious of the responsibilities that came with the opportunity.
The governor’s wife reaffirmed her commitment to supporting and mentoring children and young people, stressing that education remained a powerful tool for transforming lives and creating opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
She also acknowledged the support of Premium Trust Bank, noting that investment in education was crucial to the development and future of the younger generation.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Widows, Aged and Orphans Hope Support Foundation, Dr Kemi Dairo, said the initiative was designed to ensure that vulnerable children were not denied quality education because of financial constraints.
Dairo said the intervention had provided beneficiaries with an opportunity not only to attend school but also to pursue their aspirations with greater confidence and dignity.
“As schools resume this week across Ekiti State, I am delighted to announce another significant intervention approved by Her Excellency to further improve the welfare, discipline, monitoring and academic performance of the beneficiaries,” she said.
She disclosed that all expenses relating to the boarding arrangements of the affected students had been fully settled by the governor’s wife through the foundation in partnership with Premium Trust Bank.
Dairo said parents and guardians of the beneficiaries were not expected to provide additional items or make financial contributions towards the boarding arrangements, as the foundation had made provision for the necessary support.
Also speaking, a representative of the Managing Director of Premium Trust Bank, Mrs Bolanle Suyi-Aluko, underscored the importance of supporting vulnerable children and investing in education to strengthen the future of society.
In their goodwill messages, the Chairman of the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Femi Akinwumi; Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye; and Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Peju Babafemi, called for greater collaboration among stakeholders to provide vulnerable children with opportunities to thrive.
They stressed the need for collective action to build brighter futures for the beneficiaries and raise responsible leaders capable of contributing positively to society.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Darasimi Fadoju expressed appreciation to Oyebanji for the gesture and promised that the beneficiaries would reciprocate the support by taking their studies seriously, maintaining good conduct and becoming worthy ambassadors of Ekiti State.
