After years of quietly supporting children’s education in different ways, both financially and morally, the JADE Educational & Support Foundation (JADE Foundation) held its debut outreach at Aanuoluwapo Nursery and Primary School, Community Nursery and Primary School, and Temidire Nursery and Primary School, Oke-Odo, Alimosho, Lagos.
Gatekeepers News reports that in her opening remarks, the Founder of JADE Foundation, Ibiremi’ Ibikunle-Ayeni, explained that the outreach was aimed at expanding the Foundation’s reach in fulfilling its vision of “promoting equality through education.”
In Ibikunle-Ayeni’s words, “An educated society is an informed society, and an informed society births a great nation.”
The Chief Host of the event, the Executive Secretary of the Alimosho Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), Dr. Aminat Olawunmi Ige, who was represented by the Head of School Support Services, Fausat Adeniran, commended JADE Foundation for choosing to hold its debut outreach in the local government area. She described the initiative as a commendable effort towards supporting quality education and encouraging academic excellence among pupils.
Speaking on the theme, “Excellence or Nothing,” the Network Coordinator of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Youth Nigeria, Odulana Oluwatoyin, who was represented by the Lagos State Coordinating Lead, Farida Awobayo, encouraged the pupils to pursue excellence in every aspect of their lives, not limiting themselves to academics alone.
In her remarks, Awobayo said, “You can be what you want to be. With integrity, hard work and dedication, you can be great.”
A major highlight of the outreach was the presentation of school bags and storybooks to outstanding pupils across the three schools. The Foundation distributed 54 school bags to the top-performing pupils from Primary One to Primary Six, while 93 pupils received storybooks to encourage a culture of reading.
In addition, 10 storybooks were donated to the library of each of the three schools, further supporting literacy development and providing pupils with greater access to quality reading materials. In total, over 150 pupils benefited from the Foundation’s debut outreach.
Speaking on behalf of the head teachers of the three schools, the Head Teacher of Aanuoluwapo Nursery and Primary School, Kehinde Ayeni, expressed appreciation to JADE Foundation for its generosity and commitment to education.
“Your thoughtful gesture has brought great joy and encouragement to our children. The school bags will help them carry their learning materials with pride, while the storybooks will inspire a love for reading, improve literacy, and broaden their knowledge and imagination.
“We deeply appreciate your commitment to supporting education and investing in the future of our children. Your kindness and generosity will have a lasting positive impact on the lives of our pupils.
“Thank you for remembering our schools and for partnering with us in promoting quality education. We pray that your organisation continues to prosper and that your efforts to uplift communities are richly rewarded.”
JADE Foundation was established in memory of the Founder’s maternal grandparents, the late Jolade and Adejare Adeogun, whose passion for education inspired the Foundation’s mission. The debut outreach was attended by members of the Adeogunfamily, including Mr. Ibiyinka and Mrs. Atinuke Ibikunle, Mrs. Abimbola Babatunde, and Mrs. Seyi John, alongside education stakeholders, teachers, and other guests.
