Girl-Child Education: SWAN Presents N100, 000 Yearly Scholarship To One-Year-Old Abraka Indigene

By Daniel Dafe, Abraka
The Lucy Okena-led Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN), Delta State Chapter, in pursuit of one of their goals which is to push for the education of the girl-child, has presented the sum of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000) to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Adagha, saying the said sum will also be made available to the family yearly to support their two-year-old baby’s education and upkeep till she graduates from the university.

The group stormed the residence of the child’s parents in Abraka for the presentation on Thursday.

The Adagha family hails from Urhuoka, Abraka in Ethiope East of the state.

Speaking during the presentation, the Chairperson of SWAN in Delta, Mrs. Okena, said the child, Excellent became a beneficiary because the criteria for the recipient was for the parents to be unable to cater for the child’s schooling and also that the child must have been given birth to on the date that SWAN Delta was inaugurated.

Gabriel is said to be a petty trader while his wife, Ejiro has no source of income.

Mrs. Okena added: “Our representatives visited Eku Hospital to find out if there was anyone born on the 23rd of November, 2019. Excellent qualified because she was born this day. We then made attempt to find the family and finally did and here we are to make the presentation today. We told ourselves that we will adopt an indigent child and train him or her and also support her upkeep until she graduates from the university.”

Continuing, she said: “This is part of our corporate social responsibility and it is our duty as SWAN members to mentor the girl child and our core responsibility is the indigent girl-child. Our mission is to give them life and show them the way to become better persons in the future.

“To make the day Delta State Chapter of SWAN was born, we decided to make that day a significant one for the history of SWAN in Delta and so we wanted to give a child a life that the parents may not be able to fend for. Helping this child means giving her an opportunity to later contribute her own quota.”

The excited family thanked the body for their show of love.

Speaking on behalf of the Adagha family, Mr. John Adagha, the child’s grandfather, said: “We appreciate your kind gesture which God arranged Excellent to be the lucky child to get the scholarship. We appreciate your cash and kind gesture and pray that God bless you and we hope that Excellent will grow up one day to become a member of SWAN.”

“Excellent is Lucky that this project is starting with her,” he said.

Speaking to journalists, the parents Mr. & Mrs. Gabriel Adagha in separate interviews who were full of joy, expressed surprise at the presentation.

Ejiro said she was very happy and never heard of the programme, adding: “I was shocked when the lady explained it to me and I said I will only believe when I see the money.”

“It has been difficult for us taking care of our three children and it has not been easy for only one person carrying the load,” she said.

On his part, Gabriel said it has not been easy, adding that when he learnt that Excellent will be taken care of by the group he was excited.

He thanked the group and urged them to continue the good work that they are doing.

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The group was also at Abraka Grammar School, Abraka, for the ‘Catch them Young’ programme to teach students on the need to become chartered accountants, saying that they can consider going for the ICAN programme.

This move was also in furtherance of their determination to prevent the education of the girl-child from going into extinction.

A talk by Mrs. Mary Agbogidi, ACA, on ‘Pathway to ICAN/SWAN was presented to the students from SS1 to SS3 and then a motivational talk by Mrs Emamoke Ejakpovi ACA.

The Vice Principal of the school, Mrs. Anwulika Odiase thanked the organizers of the programme and urged them to continue in this noble path.