The Blossom Africa Initiative, a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) has donated free school uniforms to indigent primary school pupils in Lagos State,in its resolve to ensure the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations takes effect in Nigeria.
The group, which took the SDGs campaigns to Agidingbin Primary School, Ikeja, gave indigent pupils who are formerly cladded in torn uniforms, new ones.
The President of the group, Mr Tope Musowo, who led the group to the school, said they felt the need to intervene seeing pulpils wearing torn uniforms to schools.
According to him, the group decided to provide school uniforms in its bid to contribute toward realisation of the first SDGs which bothers on waging war against abject poverty ravaging the society.
“We are giving these uniforms to assist students whose parents are finding it difficult to change their wornout dress. We became worried seeing some of these students in this situation.
“Wearing wornout uniforms to schools has a way of affecting the psychology, emotion, self-esteem of these students, thereby affecting their students.
“It is poverty that makes students to go to school with torn uniform. We don’t just teach SDGs, we want to practise them.
“It is poverty for parents to see his children going to school bear foot and with torn uniform without doing anything about it, that is why we are doing this as our own contribution to the society.
“Government cannot do it all, well meaning Nigerians should rise up to ensure realisation of SDAs,” he said.
He said that the exercise would be replicated in other schools in fulfilment of the SDGs.
Musowo added: “The organisation is out to create awareness about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and to awaken the consciousness of our people towards their roles in the actualisation.
“We discover that one of the reasons why none of the Africa countries achieved the Millennium Development Goals is because the awareness was too low, that is why we are creating awareness about the SDGs .
“We are not just creating awareness we are also demonstrating what we are talking, that is why we are distributing free uniform for students.
In her response, Mrs Janet Agbebi, the Assistant Head Minstress of the school, who commended the group for the gesture, said it would go a long way to motivate the pupils.
According to Agbebi, some students do not come to school because their uniforms are in bad conditions.
Two of the beneficiaries, Miss Kadijat Mohammed and Master Ibrahim Rilwan commended the group for the gesture, saying it would help them to concentrate on their study.