By Oluwatoyosi Adegeye
The Human Development Initiatives (HDI) held its highly anticipated ‘Day out with the HDI Beneficiaries’ where vulnerable children and those with disabilities were given educational support materials.
Executive Director, HDI, Mrs. Olufunso Owasanoye, said the Nonprofit supports the less privileged in the society by giving educational items that will ease learning. Items such as Braille machine, wheelchairs, laptops, typewriter, digital recorder, guide cane, school bags, exercise books, textbooks, sandals, socks and mathematical sets for the new 2021/2022 academic session.
The event was organised with the support of the Lagos State Ministry of Education, Provide a meal Nigeria and others.
Mrs. Owasanoye explained that the Human Development Initiatives-Education Trust Fund (HDI-ETF) foundation is an extension of the NGO set up to address the plight of widow, orphans and special children, many of whom are highly prone to dropping out of school as a result of their challenges or parent or guardian’s inability to meet their educational needs.
She said “It is obvious Government alone cannot meet the educational needs of these children. This initiative is a way of supporting the government to reduce out-of-school children. This foundation therefore supports the education of selected beneficiaries from nursery, primary and secondary schools to tertiary institutions, based on consistent good behaviour and academic performance of the beneficiaries”.
Mrs. Owasanoye thanked donors, sponsors and those who support the scheme despite the hard times.
She also thanked Lagos State government for its efforts in ensuring standard and quality education for all children in the state.
She advised the beneficiaries not to take the scholarship for granted and urged them to be of good behaviour, and prayerful.
Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Joke Sanwo-Olu, represented by Mrs. Bola Banjo, in a keynote speech commended the act of charity by HDI and its sponsors which focuses on giving hope to the vulnerable.
She further thanked HDI for coming up with the progressive and thoughtful intervention for the less privileged.
Chairman of the day, Mrs. Oluwole Familoni in a goodwill message advised the beneficiaries to use whatever they got well.
