Residents of Ungwan Galadima 2 community in Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have commended a non-governmental organization, Global Peace Development, for donating three blocks of classrooms and a solar-powered borehole to them.
They said the gesture would go a long way in addressing the perennial water challenges facing them as well as improve the education quality of the school in the community.
The representative of the Lafia Local Government Education Authority, who spoke on behalf of the community, Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim, commended the NGO for the initiative to give back to society.
He assured that the community would protect and safeguard the facilities to woo other organisations.
His words: “I am very grateful for this development. The NGO has done a wonderful job for the people of the community by building these classrooms, boreholes and toilets.
“I want to use this opportunity to extend our profound gratitude to the Embassy of Switzerland for siding them to achieve this feat. We would ensure that the facilities are maintained so that the community can continue to experience rapid growth,” he added.
Our correspondent reports that the district head of Ungwan Galadima 2 community in Lafia and well-wishers from neighbouring communities were all in attendance during the ceremony.
Addressing members of the community during the handing over ceremony of the project, the Executive Director of Global Peace Development, Mr. Ebruke Esike, said the project tagged ‘Support Education Infrastructure for Improved Child Learning and Development in Nasarawa State’, is aimed at reducing illiteracy across the state.
Esike, who was represented by the State Coordinator of the NGO, Joy Tsaku, said it was a deliberate effort to provide an improved learning environment that would ensure quality education for primary school pupils in the state.
“We witnessed a supposed learning facility lacking basic amenities as the majority of the pupils sit on bare floor while learning took place because of inadequate classrooms and limited desks.
“About 113 pupils were using one classroom which could lead to child underdevelopment.
“So we constructed three blocks of classrooms, a solar-powered borehole and five toilets with septic tank which is equipped with hygiene facility.
“We also provided 45 desks for the pupils and three chairs and tables for the teachers,” he said.
The executive director expressed gratitude to the Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria for collaborating with the NGO to tackle the plight of the community by donating funds for the project.
“We sought the assistance of the Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria to provide basic amenities required for a conducive learning and teaching environment lacking in the school.
“The project gulped the sum of N10,898,850, out of which N9,232,850 was donated by the embassy so we are grateful for their support,” he revealed.
