De Pathway360 Empowerment Initiative offers scholarship to underprivileged students

Blessing Taiwo

A non-governmental organisation, De Pathway360 Empowerment Initiative has launched a scholarship programme tagged— ‘Send a Child to School Project 2024’ for underprivileged students in Nigeria.

The first phase of the scheme offered scholarship to four students selected from Lagos, Imo, Akwa Ibom, and Plateau states, who are unable to afford educational fees due to poverty.

In her address during the launch held at Victory Point School, Egbe in Lagos, the Executive Director of De Pathway360 Empowerment Initiative, Nneoma Caroline Akano said that the scholarship programme was introduced to instill hope among young Nigerians and address the pressing issue of educational inequality.

Akano stated that the scheme is in line with global effort to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) by 2030, which emphasizes inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

Speaking on what the scholarship entails, she noted that it covers school fees, uniforms, footwear, textbooks, and other learning materials for the students to enjoy quality education.

The executive director said, “the goal of this project is to provide education for 1000 deserving children within six years and support them through their journey to college. This effort is part of the organisation’s broader mission to empower children with knowledge and skills to break the cycle of poverty and achieve their full potential.

“The primary beneficiaries are drawn from underprivileged children in various communities in Lagos, Imo, Akwa Ibom, and Plateau states, who are unable to attend school due to poverty. However, the organisation intends to reach more states in Nigeria in the near future.

“By covering school fees for four children, De Pathway360 Empowerment Initiative has reached a critical milestone in its mission to support underprivileged children’s education.

“However, this achievement is just a fraction of the broader issue, as millions of children remain marginalized and unable to access quality education. To expand its reach, De Pathway360 is calling for financial support from the public to cover additional school fees, uniforms, books, and other educational materials.”

Akano called on well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies to partner with the organisation to help more underprivileged children gain access to quality education.

“Despite Nigeria’s policy of free and compulsory primary education, systemic barriers such as poverty and inadequate resources have left 10.5 million children aged 5 to 14 years out of school.

“School children are still expected to pay certain fees, and buy uniforms, textbooks, and other instructional materials, and we cannot do it alone. We urge individuals, businesses, and other organisations to join us in this vital mission to provide every child with the education they deserve, and like someone rightly said, education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” she stated.

Victor Erah, proprietor of one of the schools whose student was a beneficiary of the scholarship, commended the foundation for helping the underprivileged in the society to actualise their dreams.

Erah charged the students to emulate giving back to the society by helping others in the future.