The Project arose from a vision given to Pastor Taiwo to reach out and affect the standard of education in schools situated in the environs of the Fountain of Life Church.

OBJECTIVE

The Objective of the project is to render assistance to the three state secondary schools in Ilupeju in areas that will raise the quality of the educational experience of the children in the schools.

A Committee was selected to identify the areas of need of the schools. Several visits were paid and meetings were held with the principals and senior staff of the schools, other stakeholders like Parent Teachers Association (PTA), Chairman of one of the schools and chairman of the board of Governors of another.

It was discovered at the times of visit that the physical conditions of the schools visited were not conducive for learning. Teaching materials hardly existed; the laboratories were in a deplorable state with little or no furniture in them.

There were no functioning libraries, and were no textbooks. It was gathered by the committee that parents were either unable or unwilling to purchase textbooks for their children. It was discovered that school furniture was most insufficient and a lot of them broken or unusable. The senior SS3 Student registered for their final examinations were going to write their exams without desks and benches to sit on.

* Supply of desks and benches for SS3 Classes.

* Provision of Text books in Mathematics and English Language to senior secondary Classes; the books are to be retained in the schools and replaced every three years.

* Provision of Guidance and Counselling services to the schools using volunteers guidance counsellors. An annual career fair for the schools will be held.

* Supply of Laboratory equipment and materials.

* Support for games and sports in the form of coaching and supply of sports equipment and materials.

* Promotion of other co-curricular activities especially targeted at Cultism, drugs and HIV/AIDS.

MISSIONS OUTREACH

…First University Scholarship Beneficiary Graduates

“After my secondary education in 1998, I travelled to Benue State for my pre-degree course at the Benue State University not aware that I had won a scholarship. On getting back from Benue my friend who came visiting told me that I had won a scholarship because I emerged as the best student in West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams, I didn’t believe it at first but I went to the school and it was confirmed. The confirmation was a shock to me and I was really happy because I didn’t know that the help that I needed would come so soon.”

These were the words of Miss Patricia Ada Echono the first product of the scholarship scheme under the Educational Support Project (ESP).

Miss Echono won the first university scholarship four years ago after she emerged as the best graduating student of Estate Senior Secondary Grammar school, Ilupeju. Miss Echono who hails from Benue State is now a graduate in Mathematics from the Benue State University, Makurdi. In a recent chat with our correspondent, she said the scholarship came like a miracle to her and her family because she did not think she could have won a scholarship from the church.

She told the story of how her father had lost his job after her graduation from secondary school. According to her, the loss of a job can be quite devastating especially when the person is the bread winner of a home. She said she didn’t know that help would come to her from near. Miss Echondo father worked at NIPACCO (opposite the church) before he was relieved of his duties.

In all, she was grateful for the support of The Fountain of Life Church. She also stated that all her achievements came through perseverance and a lot of hard work.