Education is the right of children in the creeks, NGO declares

As Nigeria joins the rest of world to celebrate children's day, a Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, the Creek Child Education Foundation today said education is the right of every child in the creeks, irrespective of their backgrounds.

Founder of The Creek Child Education Foundation, Vivian Pori made the assertion during an interview with Our Correspondent at JeiJei Primary School, Kurutie Federated Community, Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Pori, whose foundation joined the pupils of JeiJei and Oge Primary Schools in celebration of the children's day, also said the creek children deserves good education in the Niger Delta region.

 "So, the creek child education foundation has taken it upon itself to make the world know that, we need good education.

“We need teachers, a large number of teachers in our schools. We need supply of educational materials and we need time-to-time check, probably from the ministry of education or somewhere."

Pori added: “Let them come and see what's going on in our schools. I live in city. This is not how schools in the city appear and teaching materials for teachers are not readily available to us here in the creeks. So please, we are reaching out to the world to come to our aid."

In celebrating with the children, the creek child education foundation also provided pupils of the two schools with note books, my-first-year-book, catch them young for kids, quantitative & verbal reasoning, branded T-Shirts, biscuits and juice worth several millions of naira. 

Founder of The Creek Child Education Foundation,Vivian Pori (3rd from left), Legbe. O. David, headteacher of Ogeh Primary School, Kunukunuma Community, Mrs. Oghenerume Stella Ekpebide,(1st&2nd from right), Mr. Money in Bernard, Financial Secretary of Kurutie Federated Community and Dideke Patricia, headteacher, JeiJei Primary School, Kurutie Federated Community

Earlier in an interview, the headteachers of JeiJei Primary School, Dideke Patricia, appreciated the founder of The Creek Child Education Foundation, Vivian Pori for the kind gesture and prayed God to bless her and her team for coming to the aid of the institution with the items she provided. 

Patricia said the school currently lacks writing material, text books, game equipment, hall, playground amongst others.

She said they need the aforementioned educational materials/facilities in addition to sandal, stockings and uniforms for pupils of the school.

She said, "all those can be provided to make the children happy, because some of the parents don't have the finances to do those things."

Patricia added: "Many are in the creeks that we needed to give education but that's not possible because there's no finance to do that.

"We need help from the government from federal down to local government. We need help to bring these Creek children to education, because some of the places they're now, they are distance. There's no school where they're and the children are suffering. They don't even know the gains of education or school. We need help from government in JeiJei Primary School. We need a local boats with cover to convey these children from the neighbouring villages down to the school in Kurutie. This can be done with the help of the government of all the arms. 

"But we are just trying, because some foundations came to help us, giving us writing materials and the children were happy. 

Vivian Pori (left) & Dideke Patricia 

"For me, I want more foundations to come forth with what they have. Nothing is too small. We want the children to be happy as we are seeing them."

Also in an interview, the headteacher of Ogeh Primary School, Kunukunuma Community,Legbe.O. David also appreciated the NGO for providing the pupils of the school with the books. 

He said prior to the coming of the NGO to the area, the school lacked a lot of things, including drinkable water, light, pointing out that, "there's no security in the school. The school is not secured. No security. No fence. The school is left at the mercy of God."

He noted: "If the Creek Child Education can try, it will go a long way to help our children particularly the less privileged ones. We are suffering in silence."

He called on the government to come to the aid of the school and address its poor state. 

David also said lack of teachers is another problem in the school, stressing,"that's affecting our riverine schools."

According to him, "even teachers are not encouraged. No incentive to them. We want to appeal through this medium to the government to see that incentive is given to teachers to encourage them to put more efforts in their jobs."

The Financial Secretary of Kurutie Federated Community, Mr.  Moneyin Bernard, thanked the NGO for assisting and providing the books and other items for the two schools to encourage the pupils and their parents.

A Cross Section of Pupils of Iginuwa Primary School, Ode - Itsekiri, showcasing notebooks donated by Creek Child Education Foundation

He said politicians, philanthropists, companies and interventionist agencies and the government should also come forward and help the creek child achieve their educational dreams by providing the basic educational facilities to the schools in the riverine/creek communities.

Founder of The Creek Child Education Foundation, Vivian Pori, had on Monday May 26, led some members of the foundation on similar education-support visit to Iginuwa Primary School at Ode-Itsekiri in Warri South Local Government Area.

After making donation of educational materials to the school, the headteacher of Iginuwa Primary School, Ode-Itsekiri, Mrs. Rita Ugbometa, commended Vivian Pori and members of her team for the gesture and urged other NGOs and corporate bodies to do same.

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