Emmanuel Ikpeama
In true demonstration of its motto, Service Above Self, the Rotary Club of Okota has put smiles on the faces of pupils of St. Paul Anglican Primary School, Isagatedo, Isolo, Lagos.
The Club flagged off its Basic Education and Literacy Project for the 2026-2027 Rotary Year with the donation of high-quality school bags and complete writing materials to all 90 pupils of the school.
The intervention, which coincides with September as Rotary Basic Education and Literacy Month, is one of the seven areas of focus of Rotary International and is aimed at welcoming pupils back to school after the long holiday while easing the financial burden on parents.
The pupils, who were full of excitement, received brand new school bags, notebooks, pencils, biros and erasers from the Rotarians.
President of the Rotary Club of Okota for 2026-2027, Rotarian Abidemi Ibrahim Sogunle,said the project is just the beginning of many more to come.
“Based on the theme of Rotary, which is Basic Education and Literacy Month, we want to ensure we execute projects every month in line with the Rotary theme.
We are presenting school bags and writing materials to the students of St. Paul Anglican School, Isagatedo. We want them to be good ambassadors to the country,” he said.
“For the population here presently, there are 90 students, and we are giving all of them school bags. We are also going to three other schools: Ronik International School, Power and Glory International School, and Okota Senior Secondary School. This is Series 1, and we are completing Series 2 by next week for the other three schools.”
He urged the pupils to take their education seriously:
“My advice to them is to listen to their teachers and ensure they don’t play with their education.
Anything they need, God will give it to them, but they must first ensure they are educated. Once they are educated, anything is possible.”
Also speaking Rotarian Nofiu Okuwande, Past President and Service Project Chair for 2026-2027, explained the motivation behind the project.
“This movement is part of the seven areas of focus of Rotary, which is basic education and literacy. September is basic education month, and we decided to do this to give back to the students for a welcome back to school after their holiday.”
“We brought writing materials, books, pencils, biros, erasers, and bags for them to use for school.
This primary school happens to be where our immediate past president attended when he was young; he is an old student of this school, so he decided to pick it to give back to his alma mater,” he said.
He advised the pupils to dream big and remain committed to their studies.
“Most of them said they want to be governors, doctors, or lawyers.
I pray for them that as they have these dreams in mind, God will perfect everything for them and they will become who they want to be in life.
We also advise them that just as our past president came back as an old student, they should do the same when they grow up and become adults.”
The Headmistress of the school was full of praises and could not hide her emotions as she appreciated the Club for the kind gesture.
“I want to say thank you for everything to the Rotary Club of Okota. We thank you for the package you gave to us; it is marvelous. We can see that you are great,” she said.
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“I thank you because Rotary Club of Okota came here to wipe away the tears of the parents.
Many of them could not even afford the bags. It is marvelous to us. When you look at that bag, it is a very high quality. I have not seen such a bag anywhere. I was overwhelmed and excited. Thank you, and God bless you.”
She added that the donation will go a long way in boosting the morale of the pupils and giving them a sense of belonging, especially at a time when many families are struggling with back-to-school expenses.
One of the beneficiaries, Oni Oluwashemilore Oluwa, expressed joy in an emotional tone:
“I feel happy because Rotary Club of Okota gave us these things, God will bless them for what they have done. This new bag is better than the old one. God will bless them and provide for them.”
The event ended on a high note with songs of appreciation, prayers and group photographs as teachers and community members lauded the Rotary Club of Okota for being a shining example of humanitarian service.
