TheCable

The Bond Club of Surulere, a social club of professionals who grew up in Surulere, Lagos state, has reportedly donated at least 3000 exercise books to public primary schools in the area.

The public schools that benefitted from the donation were Surulere Baptist Primary School, Adebola Baptist Primary School, Estate Baptist Primary School and Akin Jacobs Memorial Baptist Primary School.

Other primary schools are Akinsemoyin Nursey and Primary School and Randle Nursery and Primary schools.

Speaking on the motivation for the book distribution, Gbolahan Dickson, the immediate past president of club, said the group decided to embark on an educational endowment initiative in order to ameliorate the plight of children in the community where they had their childhood.

“We are friends who have known each other for 30 years and we all grew up in Surulere. We wanted to give back to the society and we realized that a lot of schools don’t have amenities,” he said.

“We thought it’s best to start with education because one cannot go wrong by investing in education.”

Dickson presenting a pack of exercise books to the head mistress of Akinsemoyin primary school Surulere

Helen Ononogbu, head teacher of Randle Primary School, commended the club members for reaching out to the vulnerable children, despite the hardship in the economy.

She said, “Giving our pupils writing materials is a way of encouraging them to perform better. Some of their parents are poor while some of the pupils work as house helps and as such, unable to buy writing materials even though education is free.”

Agnes Okubanjo, head teacher of Akinsemoyin Nursery and Primary School, who received the books on behalf of her pupils, relived sad experiences of how some parents have no money to buy writing materials for their wards, leaving them to just stare at the black boards when lessons are ongoing.

Members of Bond Club Surulere in a group photo with pupils of Akinsemoyin Primary School Surulere

“Even their parents would be very happy for the books given to their wards. It will make learning and teaching more impactful”, she said while handing copies to the pupils as they posed for a group photograph.