No fewer than 400 pupils in Ogun State have received educational support ahead of the new academic session, courtesy of Treasured Points of Light Foundation in collaboration with Ash Montana Deck of the National Association of Seadogs (NAS).
The outreach, held in Wasimi, Ewekoro Local Government Area, benefitted children drawn from nine surrounding villages. Items distributed to the pupils included school bags, shoes, lunch bags, food flasks, water bottles, mathematical sets, and other stationery.
Tagged “Join Hands, Raise Hope,” the 2025 edition of the annual programme was aimed at encouraging children from underserved communities to return to school with confidence and dignity.
Speaking during the event, the President of the foundation, Damilola Onebamhoin, said the intervention was designed to give hope to children whose families may be unable to afford basic learning materials.
She said, “We have seen children in these communities who cannot return to school because of poverty. We don’t want them to be hopeless.
“This initiative is our way of supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.”
Onebamhoin disclosed that although 328 pupils were initially registered, provisions were made for over 400 beneficiaries. She also urged government at all levels to prioritise education in rural areas.
“We can’t continue to focus only on children in urban areas. Those in rural and underserved communities also deserve equal opportunities. Government must shine the light by encouraging literacy everywhere,” she added.
Also speaking, the Capon of Ash Montana Deck (NAS), Omitogun Adeyemi, said the initiative aligns with the organisation’s long-standing literacy and advocacy projects, including the Street Child Project.
He said, “Our concern is that the strong should protect the weak, the rich should support the poor, and the informed should share knowledge with the uninformed. Government cannot do it alone, and that is why well-meaning individuals and groups must join hands to ensure children stay in school.”
Adeyemi stressed that the group’s commitment goes beyond charity, noting that its broader mission is to promote a just and egalitarian society, free from discrimination.
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