WINET, Spanish Organization Award Scholarship To 106 Female Enugu Students

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, November 9th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A non- governmental organization (NGO), Women Information Network (WINET), and her foreign partner, Mundo Cooperante of Spain, Wednesday put smile on the faces of 106 female students of Comprehensive Secondary School, Akpasha, in Nkanu West Council area of Enugu State as they awarded them scholarship.

Recalled that the organization had in the past carried out similar gesture in several schools in the state and other parts of South East, Nigeria, including Anambra.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of WINET, Mrs. Miriam Menkiti, said “i want you to know that we are here with the kind permission of the Hon.

Commissioner for Education of the state, Professor Uchenna Eze and Chairman of Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB) Dr. Favour Ugwuanyi who is also invited to this award ceremony.

“In furtherance of our activities under the Right to be A Girl – Projects to End Girl Child Marriage, we are here today to present one academic year scholarship (2022-2023) under the project titled “Support for 128 Female Students’ Education in Enugu State, Nigeria” funded by Mundo Cooperante of Spain to one hundred and six (106) female students.

“As a member of the international coalition of organizations called Girls Not Brides, we are here to support the retention of girls in schools for their education.

“We do not want them to be given out in marriage at a tender age because, they are girls and not yet matured enough to be brides.

“This is the reason we insisted that parents of the selected female students must sign commitment letters that they will not be withdrawn from school for any purpose during the period of our scholarship.

“We urge parents not to discriminate against the girl child. They should send all girl children to school like the boys.

The WINET boss, told the student that “the scholarship entails payment of school fees for the 2022/2023 academic year for the selected 106 female students of Comprehensive Secondary School Akpasha.

“Meaning that we will pay school fees, examination fees (Basic Education Certificate Examination –BECE), West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) fees and State Based Management Committee (SBMC) levies.

“We will present the students with school bags, Mathematical sets and pens. I am glad to inform you that we have already paid all the fees for the girls for this first term.

She added that “We appeal to the benefiting female students to make the best use of the opportunity offered by WINET and Mundo Cooperante to study hard.

“We thank Mundo Cooperante for funding the project. Our Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning officer, Mrs. Chinelo Dim will visit the school monthly to check the progress of the students.

“I appeal to the Principal, Vice Principal and teachers to cooperate with us in our monitoring exercise. We thank the Principal, Dr. Ada Ugwu in a special way because she has been very supportive of this project.

In an interview, principal of the school, Dr. Mrs Ada Ugwu, expressed to WINET and its foreign partner, for the kind gesture, adding that the support “is a morale booster to the students.

She said: “am highly delighted over this gesture by WINET and her Spanish partner, because it’s a morale booster and encouragement to the Students and their parents.

“On behalf of the school management, I want to say a very big thank you to these two organizations for remembering our school.
Responding, on behalf of her colleagues, Miss Faith Nwachukwu, thanked WINET for the kind gesture, promising that they will not take the support for granted.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of assorted educational materials such as Mathematical sets, note books, school bags, pen among others to the over joyous students.