Delta Flood: NGO donates educational materials to 600 pupils, students in IDPs Camp in Delta 

A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), has donated educational materials to no fewer than 600 pupils and students in Ogbe-Afor Internally Displaced Persons Camp (IDP), Asaba, Delta State.

The Initiative's State Coordinator, Mr Austin Okorodudu, who addressed newsmen at the camp while handing over the materials to them recently at the camp, said the gesture was conceived out of love for humanity.

“We are here to support your education and to inform you that the fact that flood displaced you from your homes and schools, you have to keep hope alive because you still have the right to education. We had earlier planned to travel to Oko communities to donate these materials but unfortunately the communities was taken over by flood.

“So, we said that now that nature have taken it's toll on the people of Oko communities, we have to locate them and impact them where they are at Ogbe-Afor IDP camp, Asaba. So, today we have found them here and want to say that it is our commitment to support these pupils and students in their education.

“As we know education is something you cannot wish away, these children are here not by their fault or making but for a natural disaster, so, we have decided to identify with them to encourage them that there is life after here.

“Today, we have note books, school bags, writing materials for all of them but not just that, we are also here to educate, teach and put the right skills in them as we have deployed persons who will take them on leadership and computing educations”, Okorodudu said.

He said that he was convinced that some of these children would take up the mantle of leadership in the state, country and in any place in the world and they would remember that somebody had impacted them.

He noted that majority of the persons in various leading positions toady, stared somewhere in the rural communities, adding that telling our stories would inspire them to aspire higher in life.

Okorodudu said that there was no doubt that education demands huge financing, and called on those wealthy Nigerians to support government to make the public schools worthwhile rather than leaving the whole burden on government.

“Many a times people who are well to do set up their own schools with exorbitant school fees which only the rich can afford. But I believe that the rich should lend a helping hand, and it will not be wrong if they set up a school with tuition free in rural areas as a way to give back to the society. This will go a long way to removing the high rate of illiteracy in our country”, he said.

Mr Karo Ovemoso, Director, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) representing the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Ernest Ogwuezzy, commended the initiative for the support while challenging other such organizations to emulate them and support those at the lower echelon in the society.

“It is not easy to help others from you merge resources but this group of young people have demonstrated courage and love by taking the bold step making the sacrifice for humanity.

“I want to encourage them to remain steadfast as a team and not to allow anything to tear them apart, today they have impacted over 600 children in this camp in their own little way by giving them learning and writing materials," he said.

On the challenges at the camp, the commissioner said that the government has been responsive to meeting their demands, adding that the children in the camps attend their normal classes despite their conditions.

Also Gospel Amaliamifeobu, member of YALI and Labour Party Candidate Aniocha South Constituency for Delta State House of Assembly encouraged the pupils, students and their parents to remain steadfast, adding that government was working out things for them to go back home.

He thanked the governor for his commitment to ensuring that the campers were fed regularly while encouraging the government to do more to ensure a smooth sail for the people, assuring the students that the trial moment would soon be over and that God would see them through the current challenge.

In an interview, Kelvin Sunday, a JSS II student, told The Nigerian Voice that government has done well for them in the camp but that he was anxious to go back home and to return to his school just as he thanked the YALI group for giving him a school bag and other materials for his education.

Also Mrs Nneka Obi, whose three children benefited from the gesture thanked the donors for supporting their children with note books, bags and writing materials.

She thanked the state government for supporting them in the camp and called on the government to settle the campers to enable them go back to their homes since there were signs that the flood had started receding.

"Yes, we are eating well here and our children also attend their schools here as teachers are being deployed to teach them. But we have been here for more than one month now, we also hear that the waters are drying up, so we want government to settle us so that we can return home, that is what we are want from government”, she said.