In a renewed push to ease the burden on parents and strengthen access to education, the wife of the Governor of Abia State, Mrs. Priscilla Chidinma Otti, through her foundation, the Safe Tent Care Initiative, has flagged off a Back-to-School Outreach Programme with the distribution of learning materials to indigent pupils.
No fewer than 300 school children benefited from the exercise which held in Umuahia, as the foundation targets to reach 1,000 pupils across the state before the end of the programme.
Items distributed included school bags, exercise books, mathematics sets, colour pencils, food flasks, and water bottles, all aimed at supporting pupils as schools resume for the new academic session.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Otti explained that the initiative was driven by her passion to reduce the pressure on parents while ensuring that no child in Abia is denied access to education because of lack of basic learning materials.
“This is just the beginning. Our target is to expand this outreach until every child in Abia is reached. While His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, is working tirelessly to improve the quality of education, my role is to make sure children have the tools to learn. Together, we want to raise a generation of children who will benefit from sound and quality education,” she said.
She commended the Ministry of Education and the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) for collaborating with the foundation, stressing that their involvement is a major relief for parents struggling with the cost of education. She equally charged the beneficiaries to value the items, handle them responsibly, and see education as the foundation for their future.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Maureen Aghukwa, lauded Mrs. Otti for what she described as a timely intervention that aligns with the state government’s vision of securing a better future for Abia children.
On her part, the Chairperson of ASUBEB, Mrs. Lydia Onuoha, said the gesture was a huge relief for mothers and pledged continuous partnership with the foundation to make learning easier for pupils.
The Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Ngozi Felix, and the Commissioner for Basic Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, represented by Mr. Kenechukwu Nwosu, equally commended the initiative, noting that beyond the provision of school materials, the outreach restores dignity to education and renews hope for children across the state.
The Back-to-School Outreach marks the first edition of the Safe Tent Care Initiative Foundation’s educational programmes and is expected to continue until the 1,000-child target is met.
