A Non-governmental Organisations, Hopes and Dreams Initiative (HDI) with support from Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has donated a WASH Library and Safe Space to the Aleyita community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to encourage reading culture and proper hygiene.
Alhaji Usman Kupi, Sa Peyi of Garki at the commissioning of the project in Abuja on Wednesday said that the library would help improve the reading culture of the people in the community.
Kupi called on residence of the community to utilise the project while also protecting the property for maximum result for the benefit of all.
” Our challenge in this country is that we have refused to invest in our country whereby youths will be gainfully employed whereby those who have the means will rather carry the money outside which is not the best for us orrather they will hide their money in their various homes or farms and we know an idle man is the devil workshop.
” So all hands have to be on deck, as Nigerians please let us try to invest in this country either in the farming sector, industries whereby youths will be gainfully employed and it woould not be complete if we are unable to contribute to human development.
” You can only develop human beings after education, so for that let us try all we could to educate the younger ones who are the leaders of tomorrow, most especially in the area of girl education.”
Kupi appealed to the youths to take education important and desist from taking hard drugs capable of destroying their lives.
He urged well meaning Nigerians at home and in diaspora to emulate the NGO by investing in the education of the people especially the girl child.
“I want to draw the attention of the parents, let us try all we could to put our children in school right from primary school to tertiary institutions.
“We cannot achieve maximum results without the support of the government. So let us try all we could to make sure we support any government to be able to achieve maximum results.
Mrs Nguzo Ogbodo, Chief Executive Officer, HDI said that the project was conceived in 2010 through her six-year old daughter who was keen to reading in the library any time she came to the country.
Ogbodo noted that the organisation had been working towards ensuring that a library was sited in the community to encourage youths to develop their reading potential.
She added that the library would also benefit other Nigerians within the FCT to utilise the project.
” This is like a journey of a pregnant woman who give birth and we are hopeful that as we go along researching and asking for funding, we will be able to maintain it.
” One of the key thing of doing this is sustainability, so we are going to figure a way to collaborate with other organisations in other to sustain it for the community and other community around Aleyita,” She said.
Also, Hajia Neemat Abdulrahim, Director, Education Resource Centre (ERC) said that the project would create an awareness and enlightenment for the community to know the importance of education.
Neemat, who was represented by Dr Olive Ojogbo, Deputy Director, Guardian and Counseling of the centre, called for effective use of the edifice and as well encouraged school children to be actively involved in using the project productively.
” The awareness this is already given this community is a lot. Having a library here is an opportunity for the children to make use of it.
” It is not just a library but a multipurpose centre, there is a counselling section here where your secret will be kept and we will work with you by guiding you on what to do.
” You don’t have to come to the city centre to get information. Thay have brought it here.”
Mr Abdullah Candido, Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC,) thanked the initiator for bringing the laudable project to assist school children in improving on their reading culture.
Candido, represented by Mr Lucky Rabo, Councillor representing Aleyita ward said the project was the first community library in AMAC hoping that such gesture would be replicated to other communities.