Young Nigerians provide footwears, books for indigent students in Bayelsa

Between June 26 and 27, 2024, a small group of individuals sowed potent seeds into the future of Nigeria’s students with a development project that could change the course of their lives perpetually.

The unassuming town of Yenagoa was the location, and the endeavor was #Project Sandals4Schools. Led by Chike Donald Ibewuike and Kelechi Ndieze, #Project Sandals4Schools is a community development project aimed at bridging the educational gap in Nigeria one step at a time.

Originally intended as a Community Development Project during their service year, the project aimed to gift 1,000 disadvantaged students in Bayelsa’s capital with footwear and books to inspire learning and to improve the general primary school repetition rate (16%) and the transition into junior secondary education in the state.

Furthermore, their independent study revealed that 3 in 5 children in the state capital attend primary school without footwear, leaving their feet at the mercy of the elements.

However, due to financial reasons, the project was delayed until last week, which saw the #Project Sandals4Schools team gift over 200 sandals and 600 exercise books to students across nursery and primary classes in Bayelsa State.

Among the beneficiaries of this project were students of St. Matthias Primary School, Amarata, Community Primary School (CPS), Onopa, and St. Luke Primary School, Agudama-Epie, all located in Yenagoa.

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The project was met with joy from the students and teachers, who were grateful for the generosity, acknowledging the needs of the students and affirming the positive impact it would have on the children’s learning experience.

Particularly, the #Project Sandals4Schools team was welcomed at CPS Onopa by HRH Tamamo Marris Paramount, ruler of the Onopa Community in Yenagoa, who also expressed his gratitude to the team and encouraged the students to dream of doing the same for their community in the near future.

Being the first outreach of the endeavor, the #Project Sandals4Schools team looks forward to their next outing in the state, where they will focus on other public schools in Bayelsa, and beyond, to Nigeria at large.

In his closing remarks, Chike Donald Ibewuike extended his heartfelt thanks to all who donated to the project. “Your generosity has planted the seeds for a brighter future for these children. Thank you for putting sandals on the feet of young Bayelsan children and books on their desks.

Together, we are not just providing sandals and books; we are paving the way for a more educated and empowered generation.

Our vision extends beyond Bayelsa; we aim to reach every corner of Nigeria where educational challenges persist. With your continued support, we believe we can make a lasting impact, one step at a time.”

Below are photos from the event: