By Damiete Braide
Education advocate, Rex Mafiana, has rolled out plans to assist less privileged children in the country by granting them access to quality education and empowerment.
Mafiana seeks to select talented children and youths who will be beneficiaries of the financial aid and access to quality education through the Rex Mafiana Foundation which aims to impact 5000 beneficiaries in the next five years.
Mafiana lamented the drawbacks on accessing quality education for indigents and how he intends to provide succour through his foundation. He said: “Education plays a crucial role in a child’s development. It enhances the abilities, attitude and behaviour that contributes positively to societal development. Despite the importance of education to national development, it is worrisome to see our education hindered by upheavals, which poses a threat to the country’s economic growth, progress and prosperity.”
Mafiana further said the foundation seeks to empower talented youths and help actualize their dreams while providing financial support to enable access to quality education.
Narrating his passion for education, he sheds more light thus: “My best friend in primary school ended up as a truck driver because his parents could not afford to send him to school. Over the years, I tried to maintain our friendship but I realized the impact education can have on one’s life.
“I believe in empowering a child through education; that’s why I have decided to tow this path. During my National Youths Service Corps year in Itire, Surulere, Lagos State, my passion to help kids get quality education was rekindled .
“Presently, we are collating a list of 100 children and youths that we will give sponsorship. We are looking at spreading our tentacles to children in the North. I believe that it is the value of people that you train today, that will become your leaders. We will ride on the back of the foundation to partner with other organisations that are ready to assist us in operations.”
Talking about the criteria in selecting beneficiaries, Mafiana disclosed that talented and brilliant kids are to be nominated by their teachers. “Once identified , we give them the necessary support required,” he said.
Furthermore, Mafiana expressed gratitude to partners who supported the foundation’s effort in the South West to achieve success with the project stating that the responses have been encouraging . “ I don’t think I have done enough but when the efforts are appreciated even when nobody knows you, It encourages and compels me to do more,” he volunteered.