From TCNEWS
As part of its humanitarian services in the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene as well as Basic Education & Literacy Rotary Areas of Focus, Rotary Club of Umuahia, District 9142 has completed and donated a three-room toilet facility, twenty classroom desks, one hundred pairs of school shoes & sandals, 1,000 Rotary branded exercise books, school bags, water bottles and other materials to the pupils of Ugwunchara Primary Schools I and II in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State.
Presenting the writing materials and other back to school items to the pupils during the “Dust to Desk” Project, the President of the Club, Rotarian Temitope Nnaomah, who emphasized the club’s commitment to addressing the immediate needs of the school, noted that her involvement with the school began when she took over as President and learnt about the poor conditions of learning in the school including pupils sitting on bare floors.
“I remember some months ago I visited this school with the Club’s Service Project Chair, Rotarian Ugochukwu Ajawara on needs assessment tour. We saw children sitting on the floor without any hope of a better conducive learning environment. Today, we are donating twenty desks, pairs of School Shoes and Sandals, bags and other learning materials. We are Rotarians and our motto is *Service Above Self*. We sacrifice our needs to serve other people”, the Club President said.
Rotarian Nnaomah, further disclosed that the Club embarked on the construction and completion of the school toilet facility as part of the Club’s ongoing efforts to improve basic education and literacy in the state.
In her speech, a Past District Governor who is also a member of the Club, Rotarian Grace Okaro, said that Rotarians are selfless people who are well endowed with time, knowledge & skills and use same to effectively and efficiently offer service intervention to impact humanity and society.
Okaro, who harped on the importance of helping others in need, said as human beings, it is essential that service to mankind are not empty words, but rather a core part of our actions, which Rotary advocates.
While pointing out that God has called each of us uniquely and He wants us to bring His vision to life, in the areas He has called us to. She concluded that Rotary is focused on providing service for the people, irrespective of colour, religion, ethnicity and tribal affiliations
Speaking also, the Club’s Ambassador for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Rotarian Chimezie Ukaegbu, appreciated the Rotary Club of Umuahia for its complementary role to the Government in the education and other sectors. He implored the school to make good use of the interventions provided and ensure their continued maintenance.
Responding, the Head Teachers of Ugwunchara Primary Schools I & II, Mrs Joy Okonkwo and Mr. Kalu Ndubuisi on behalf of their schools assured that the name of the Club will never be wiped out in the schools’ history but it will remain ever green because of the impactful humanitarian gesture to the schools. They also pledged to see to it that the donations are put to good use that will benefit the pupils.
Appreciating the Club also on behalf of other pupils, Master Destiny Ikechukwu and Miss Faith Salvation, said that they were happy for the desks, other gifts and more especially the toilet facility built for them by the Rotary Club of Umuahia, which has solved the problem of open defecation and its negative impact on the health of the pupils and the school environment.
Highlights of the occasion were the presentation of the classroom desks by the Club President, Rotarian Temitope Nnaomah, the commissioning of the toilet facilities by the Rotary Area of Focus Ambassador, Rotarian Chimezie Ukaegbu and the distribution of the Back to School materials to the pupils.