An NGO, the Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE), on Wednesday donated a boat to a Diaspora school in Makoko, a fishing community in Lagos.
Mrs Betty Abah, the Executive Director of CEE-HOPE, said at the launch of the boat at Dideolu Estate-Ogba, that getting a boat for the school was a way of speeding up the children’s access to education.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that CEE-HOPE is an NGO which works on the rights and protection of the most vulnerable children in Nigeria.
The donation is part of its empowerment programmes targeted at the most at risk and impoverished children.
Abah said: “”Makoko is a fishing community and most part of the community lives on water and the schools are also built on water.
““It means that people move around on water, the children go to school on water and the children have to pay for a boat to take them to school every day.
“”Some pay as much as a hundred naira and also pay fifty naira as school fees.
“”So getting a boat which can carry a total of 30 primary school pupil to school is a way of speeding up their access to education as well as ensuring that there is no excuse for any child in that community not to get education.
“”The boat is free of charge; with time, we will give to more schools because we want every child in Makoko to be educated.
“”Anybody without an education is as good as a living dead,’’ she said.
The CEE-HOPE Director said one of the interventions of her organization to the community was awarding scholarship to the children.
She said that most of the disadvantaged children in the community had benefitted and are in school.
Abah said her organization would also open an office in Makoko so as to be closer to the community.
“We are also opening our office in the community so as to be closer to the people, so that we can entertain more reports of incidences of child abuses.
“”The office will also serve as a venue for community engagements for youths and adults.
“”So it’s a big feat and a big accomplishment for us and we are very happy about it,” she said
Mr Nnimmo Bassey, an environmental activist, commended the group for doing what was important to the community.
“”CEE-HOPE is an organization that really does the things that are important.
“It is a fundamental help that CEE-HOPE is extending to the community and it’s something to be applauded.
““The money the children will no longer pay to and from school every day will be a big relief to their parents because it will be channeled to other things.
“”It’s not just a boat; it’s a boat with a different, one with a roof.
“So today is very significant and I’m very happy to witness the inauguration,’’ he said.
Bassey urged the children to take the advantage that they have today to define their tomorrow.
He also advised them to take their studies seriously.