Achina women in Lagos raise N30million, offer scholarship to indigent students

SuccessDamian:

Achina Women in Lagos under the aegis of Achina Town Union (ATU), Lagos Branch, has embarked on fundraising to the tune of N30million with the objective of awarding scholarships to the children of the poor in their community.

The fundraising which took place on Sunday, November 27, 2022 at Catholic Church of Ascension, Airport Road, Lagos, attracted the crème de la crème in Achina town, Lagos, all across Nigeria and in the Diaspora, was given a special flavor as it was held under the Distinguished Chairmanship of Hon (Chief) Modestus Umenzekwe, (Eze Chimereze, Onwa 1 of Achina), a Chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Member, Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

Other personalities that made the event thick were people like (Dr Mrs) Kate Onubogu; Mrs Chioma Dimude (Diaspora), Barrister Sheila Ezeuko; Mr Alphonsus Ejidike, Chairman, Achina Town Union (men); His Royal Highness Igwe G.N Obiora, Ezeidegwu 111 of Achina; Chief & Lolo (Prof) Bonny Ezeka, Mrs Ngozi Josphine Dimude (Mother of the Day); Eze Sir Gabby & Lolo Corona Dimude (Ezendigbi Apapa); Mr Ifeanyi Ezeiru, Youth Chairman, Achina Lagos Branch, Mrs Susan Odiesie, Chairperson Planning committee; among other men and women of substance of Achina Town, friends and well-wishers.

The Chairlady of Achina Town Union (Women Wing) Chief (Mrs) Ifeoma Kate Azike (Odukonamba), disclosed that fundraising became necessary because a lot of families are going through hardship, while many of them cannot afford university education for their children, hence the fundraising which was designed to create opportunity for children of poor parents to go to school. The fundraising was done through launching of diary produced by the women.

She said “Today is the appointed day, November 27, 2022, it is for the launching of the diary we produced to raise fund to the tune of N30million. The money will go into the support of widows and less privilege among us. There are those among us who cannot pay school fees for their children, many cannot afford JAMB fee, or WAEC, their children would be wallowing, many of them join bad gangs, so we don’t want it like that, we want our children to be responsible children, to have value, to become learned and become somebody in society. So it is a decision we took to help to train our less privileged children who cannot go to school because of money so that they don’t join Yahoo people, 419, doing drugs, or roaming the streets, we don’t want that. That is why we gather here, with our husbands, friends and well-wishers so that they can support us to raise fund so that we can send these children to school.”

Azike stated that the project is designed to train the beneficiaries from first year in the university till they graduate. “The plan is to train these children from year one in the university to final year, and not training them halfway. We want the children to come out and become somebody and help others in future. You know when you help somebody, that person would have the chance to help others. Today we sincerely hope that we are going to surpass the N30million target.”

On the modality and number of beneficiaries for the scholarship she said that those that have been selected were those who have secured admission and also those that are about to take the Senior School Certificate of Examination. “For now we have selected 12 persons for university and 12 for those that will take JAMB and WAEC. Those for the university will receive their money yearly, until their final year. The other 12 sitting for WAEC will still enter university. So if you look at it we are talking of 24 persons for university education. There are still others on queue; so it is one step at a time.

“The 12 persons selected for university education have already secured admission in Federal universities because if it is state or private we may not be able to afford it, so we took the one we can afford.”

Odukonamba disclosed that the scholarship only covered tuition fees and accommodation fees, and applied to only Achina indigenes in Lagos.

“The scholarship covers only Achina people who are resident in Lagos. It is said that charity begins at home, this is where we live and based on fund, we have to start here, but if our pocket becomes so big, we can now extend the gesture to Achina generally.”

On sustainability of the project she said the fundraising will be periodical, “Leadership position is not permanent, we hope that after my tenure, the incoming leader can take it up from there, we always put it in prayer that leaders should make sure they go ahead with those projects which were started by their predecesors, projects that are laudable. We should elect somebody that will not drop this tempo, this project should be a continuous one, so that in her tenure she will be able to launch this project again in order to sustain those in the school and others that are also coming to make sure the children do not stop midway. We have seen towns that began this kind of project, and they have not stopped.”

She said the beauty of the project is that a special bank account has been opened for the sake of transparency. Called Project Account, the essence was that anytime of the year someone can pay in something for the support of the project. “Once money enters the account we will tell our members this is what we received. This account is different from our Town Union Account.”

Mrs Azike also spoke on other empowerment initiatives by the group, “We have empowerment programmes for our women, we give according to our ability, we have given N50, 000 each to six women at least it could go a long way in assisting those that are into small businesses and foodstuffs. We started with that but as time goes on we are going to increase the money.”

The Chairman of the occasion, Honourable (Chief) Modestus Umenzekwe (Onwa Achina) spoke on the reason he chaired the occasion “I am here because my people called me, and it is service to the community, it is service to my own people. They are celebrating their end of year and raising fund for scholarship for the poor and for the development of the town and I was called to come and chair the occasion. So it is a call to serve the community.”

He commended the women of Achina for the laudable initiative. “It shows that what a man can do, a woman can even do better. I commend the women for putting on their thinking cap to think about this initiative, to raise fund for the poor and for scholarship. I encourage them to do more, I encourage them never to be discouraged no matter the odds, no matter the obstacles on their way; they should go on and take the lead. If the men in the town are not able to do it, the women can do that and that is what they are doing. It is leadership by example. And you know in this country today, women are coming up very seriously, in administration, in politics, in town union organisations; even the adage that says education of the woman ends in kitchen is no more obtainable, they are now vying for senatorial seats, House of Representatives, Governorship and even the presidency, they are there. So let them go on and on, and it is a challenge for men to do what they supposed to do and do more.”

Umezekwe called on the people of his community to rise up and contribute to the development and growth of their community “I am calling on indigenes of Achina Community to sit up, to live Achina and do Achina. Whatever you can do for the town, do it, no matter the odds, no matter the obstacles, no matter the attacks, whatever you can do, do it for your town, and leave the rest to God.”