From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
About 23,659 rural children from the Adadama community in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State have been awarded life-changing scholarships over the last decade.
This is courtesy of a former National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Betta Edu, who has been steadfastly awarding these scholarships for nearly a decade.
Beyond paying fees for the vulnerable children, she consistently provides exercise books, school bags, and sometimes supplies reading tables, chairs, and classroom seats for students.
Her intervention also includes contributions to the Migrant School, which prevented the government from shutting it down and helped several children write their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
Dr Edu explained that her selfless dedication to providing educational opportunities for children, regardless of their economic backgrounds, underscores her belief in the transformative power of education.
‘I am a beneficiary of quality education, even as a girl child. I need to ensure my ward produces many successful, educated people who will drive development,’ Dr Edu said.
Glory Lebo, the mother of one of the benefiting children, lauded Edu’s remarkable initiative as a testament to the profound impact that an individual’s acts of kindness and compassion can have on society.
The Adadama community has endured years of deprivation following a protracted boundary communal conflict that has prevented farming and other economic activities.