No fewer than 1500 children in Lagos received academic materials from the women fellowship of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Rose of Sharon parish, in Ikeja.
The children within Ikeja and Shomolu communities were given school bags, mathematical sets, pencils, erasers, exercise books, water bottles and socks ahead of school resumption in Sept. 9.
Pastor, Chichi Obiagwu, Head of the women fellowship known as “Oaks of Righteousness”, during the donation programme on Sunday expressed excitement over being able to cater for the children.
Obiagwu said the kind gesture was targeted at relieving parents who could not afford the materials, considering the current economic hardship in the country.
“We are aware many people are not empowered to take their children back to school because of the economy and we know these are fundamental materials every child should have to enhance learning in school.
“It is only proper and ideal for a children to go back to school with vital materials as these, you don’t expect children to go back to school bearing their books on their hands.
“What we have done today is to empower our community. As a church, this is our Jerusalem and our area of influence.
“It is to ensure the blessings of God upon our lives is extended to members of our community who cannot afford these materials for their children and today, we are not disappointed, we had the crowd.
“It is a big project and we are not giving up on it, God has been helping us. We have put smiles on the faces of our children who are our future. They should expect more,” she said.
Also speaking, Deaconess Abisola Kalejaiye, one of the organisers of the donation programme noted that the gesture was also a strategy for evangelism, winning the children to Christ.
“For this, the most important to us is winning of souls, catching the children young,” she said.
Advising parents, Kalejaiye said “Children are our future, as parents and a religious organisation, we should help them by putting them on the right path.
“Education is an aspect of human life that can shape children’s life, so everything that would make their education seamless, we should try as much as possible to render helping hands.” One of the beneficiaries, John Williams appreciated the kind gesture extended to him and his colleagues as he looked forward to a beautiful academic year.