Fifteen indigent students in Rivers State have benefited from the second batch of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) Post Primary School scholarship.

The fifteen students drawn from different local government of Rivers State will enjoy scholarship at the post primary education level.

This number brings to seventeen the beneficiary of the ESI scholarship scheme for orphans and the less privileged students initiated in 2009.

While presenting the letters of award to the students, wife of the Senate President Mrs Helen David Mark said the scholarship was an eloquent testimony of the NGO’s determination to promote education among the youth.

The Senate President’s wife, who expressed appreciation to the ESI stated that barely two years of its formation, it has made tremendous effort in early child education and human capacity development.

”According to her I was here during the formal launching and inauguration of this NGO, and in less than two years it has surmounted its mission and has indeed touched the lives of Rivers people”.

She charged ESI to keep the flag flying and encouraged them to become the hope of the less privileged.

Earlier in her speech, the founder of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) Dame Judith Amaechi said the ESI scholarship was initiated to assist students who could not complete their studies due to financial difficulty.

She stated that the NGO will monitor and mentor the students as well as assist them to chart their future.

Earlier, ESI administrator Mr Nowa Omeregbe said the scholarship is another intervention aimed at complementing the state government effort in rebranding education in the state and actualizing the millennium development goals for children and mothers.

Mr Omeregbe stated that the yearly ESI scholarship raffle draw was initiated to raise fund for the scheme and all proceeds from the raffle are channel toward funding the scholarship scheme.

He expressed the NGO’s determination to touch the lives of the children, youths and mothers through alleviatiable projects. The event also witnessed awards presentation to students included the winner of ION film festival in secondary school category, lao russel secondary school and certificates presented to students who participated in the ION film festival workshop.

.......BBA HOUSEMATES VISIT ESI NURSERY SCHOOL

By: Gentle .C. Woke

Big Brother Africa 4 Housemate on Tuesday paid a visit to the ESI model nursery and pledged to donate 100 mosquito nets to prevent malaria infection of the children.

Winner of BBA 4 Kelvin Pam who led other housemates to the ESI nursery at Eneka in Obio/Akpor LGAsaid he was pleased by the NGO’s determination to provide early literacy and education for the children.

He stated that the ESI nursery school was an initiative capable of redirecting the future of the children and to prepare them for leadership.

Kelvin Pam stated that his ‘Naija Pikin’, a child initiative is aimed at complementing organizations like the Empowerment Support Initiative in providing a future for the children.

In her speech, the wife of Rivers State Governor Judith Amaechi said children occupy vintage position in the policy thrust of Rivers State Government and such policy must be followed in the interest of the children.

Mrs Amaechi stated that the early child education is one of the effort initiated toward empowering the children from the cradle, adding that Rivers State must enforce the right of the child to early education.

Mrs Amaechi represented by the Permanent Secretary, Government House Port Harcourt, Oguru Fortune Oguru assured that the NGO would be willing to partner with spirited organizations with a view to giving the children their pride of place.

In his speech, the ESI Administrator Mr Nowa Omeregbe who conducted the housemate’s round the school said the NGO has begun construction of Permanent site for each of the 23 council area of Rivers State.

Mr Omeregbe conferred the ESI Ambassador on the housemates and encouraged them to touch the lives of children through the Naija Pikin project.

The housemates representing different countries in the African Continent interacted with the children and their parents.