By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos
A charity organization known as Zazzaga Foundation has offered scholarship to 200 orphans and vulnerable children in Plateau State.
The beneficiaries who were selected from the 17 local government areas of the State, departed Jos yesterday to the Republic of Benin to commence their study in University of Cotonou.
Speaking with newsmen before the students’ departure, the fundation’s founder, Dr. Saleh Abduallahi, said the students would be studying different degree programmes in Ecole Superieure Sainte Felicite University and that they have already been offered the admission.
He said the orphans were selected from each of the 17 LGAs in the state, while the vulnerable children were randomly selected across the State.
Abduallahi said the scholarship is for first degree and the programmes ranges from Arts, Social Sciences and Pure Sciences such as Medicine and other specialized science programmes.
He explained the scholarship is also aimed at giving the orphans and children of vulnerable in the society hope and a brighter future by creating opportunities for them to acquire university education in various disciplines of their choice.
“The foundation has already paid the tuition fees for the students.The gesture is aimed at assisting the orphans and vulnerable children to acquire western education that would empower them to be better and responsible people in the society rather than them to roam the streets hopelessly, and used as merchants of violence.
“This is because these merchants of violence often take advantage of their situation to use them to achieve their own selfish and mischievous mission in the society,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Nanrit Dabit, said she heard about it through a family friend and upon applying she was giving the scholarship. The founder has done what is so far unprecedented in the nation for students of the needy to have scholarship and study abroad.
Dabit who is 18 years said she would be studying International Relations at the university, stressing that the foundation did not discriminate against anyone whether on the basis of religion or ethnicity because the selection process was transparent.
She promised that they will do their best to make the founder proud of them, as well as making their family and the nation at large proud.
Reacting, Chairman of the Parents Association, Zazzaga Educational Scholarship, Emenike Isiwu, called on the government to collaborate with the foundation in any way they can to boost education in the country.
He said the foundation will not rest on its oar in supporting the less privileged to get good education, noting that the founder is a man of his words and always committed to keeping to his promises.
Our correspondent reports that the scholarship gulped a total of N160 million for the during of their studies.