TheCable

Ace Charity, a non-governmental organisation, says it has raised millions of naira to provide access to literacy and support the development of quality education for underprivileged children in Nigeria and Africa.

The organisation’s fundraising dinner at Transcorp Hilton on November 26 was attended by artistes, who bought tickets to raise funds for uneducated kids.

At the event, Bolaji Osimi, guest speaker and educationist, said Nigeria is not doing enough to address the educational problems facing the country.

She said “education has a critical role in social and economic development”.

Revealing the shocking statistics in Zamfara among other states, Osimi said almost everyone in Zamfara is an illiterate, as the state hasan illiteracy rate as high as 97 per cent,

Osimi said ACE Charity recently completed 12 fully functional libraries,  one of which will be commissioned in Zamfara.

Osimi, leading a panel of discussants, said the government could not tackle the rot in the education sector alone, so “stakeholders” must intervene.

At the event, a beneficiary of Ace’s outreach programme, came out with her children to speak about the medical care provided to her family that has changed her life.

Ace charity is an organisation whose mission is “to provide access to literacy, support development and increasing the quality of education provided to the underprivileged African children and youth all over Africa”.

It was borne out of the need to redefine charity in Africa through initiatives that focus on education and training, economic empowerment and affordable healthcare.

Some beneficiaries of the charity’s works

According to the organisation, “its goal is to contribute significantly to the reduction of illiteracy among children and youth in Africa especially in the sub-Saharan region by providing effective education and training”.

Its objectives are to “equip volunteer teachers and staff of the organization through training to effectively discharge their duties; produce manuals outlining methodology for training classes and workshops; provide employment opportunities for youth through our internship placement programme; reduce unemployment by engaging youth volunteers to earn work experience with us and other reputable organizations; and promote the culture of volunteerism among the youth”.

It said the fundraiser was to enable it “carry on with its laudable work of providing access to literacy, while supporting the development and increment of the quality of education for underprivileged children all over Africa, starting with Nigeria.”