The inaugural MEO Foundation Youth Club Summer School has ended in Ibrede, Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, with community leaders, educators and stakeholders urging students to embrace education as a tool for personal advancement and community development.
The closing ceremony, held at Egbedi Primary School, Ibrede, attracted parents, teachers, community leaders, education officials and students who participated in the six-week holiday programme organised under the theme, “MEO Foundation: Raising Leaders, Building Communities.”
More than 190 students, alongside a number of teachers and facilitators, participated in the programme, which featured academic lessons, debates, spelling bee and other educational activities.
Speaking on behalf of the founder of MEO Foundation, Pastor Odemaro Sam Obi, Mrs Justina Ishaka expressed appreciation to parents, teachers, school authorities and students for contributing to the success of the maiden edition.
Ishaka said the initiative was designed to provide students in Ibrede with access to holiday lessons similar to opportunities available to children in urban centres.
She explained that the founder, a former student of Ibrede Grammar School, was passionate about the academic progress of students in the community and wanted to encourage them to pursue higher education and excel in their chosen fields.
Ishaka also proposed the establishment of an MEO Youth Club in the school to enable students to continue meeting regularly after the summer programme and engage in activities that would promote academic development.
She urged parents to continue supporting their children’s education, while appreciating the teachers who sacrificed their time to teach the students four times a week throughout the programme.
The President-General of Ibrede Community, Chief Charles Ighogbefa, described the summer school as a welcome development and commended the MEO Foundation for investing in the younger generation.
Ighogbefa said the future of the community was largely dependent on the quality of education provided to its children.
He urged parents not to relent in sending their children to school, declaring that “education is not a scam and can never be a scam.”
According to him, even the technological tools and digital platforms being used by young people today are products of education.
He encouraged students to be curious, ask intelligent questions and develop resilience, particularly when they encounter failure.
The community leader told the students that failure should be regarded as an opportunity to learn and improve rather than a reason to give up.
He also disclosed that efforts were underway to provide electricity to Ibrede, urging the students to take advantage of improved infrastructure and focus on their education.
Representing the traditional ruler of Ibrede, Chief Simon Uchenunu commended the organisers, teachers, coordinators and students for the success of the programme.
Uchenunu said although the summer school was in its first edition, it had achieved significant results and could be improved upon in subsequent editions.
He particularly encouraged parents to ensure that their children remain in school, stressing that educated children would become assets to their families, communities and the country.
He also commended the students for their performances in the debate and other activities, warning against the practice of purchasing academic certificates rather than earning them through hard work.
The representative of the Chief Inspector of Education, Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Mr Okolie Sylvester, also praised the initiative and encouraged the students to continue developing their academic abilities.
Sylvester expressed concern over the poor participation of some schools in academic competitions organised by education authorities, noting that activities such as mathematics, essay writing, chemistry and spelling bee could help students discover and develop their talents.
He singled out the student who won the spelling bee at the summer school for commendation and urged her and other students to continue practising.
In his closing remarks, the National President of MEO Foundation, Mr Oghenero Ohwobete, described the end of the summer school as the beginning of a broader journey for the students.
Ohwobete commended the students for participating actively, asking questions and believing in themselves, while urging them to continue applying what they had learnt beyond the programme.
He also appreciated the teachers and facilitators for their time, knowledge and commitment, saying they had gone beyond teaching lessons to touching lives.
The MEO Foundation National President extended appreciation to parents, school administrators, community leaders, educational authorities, volunteers, supporters and others who contributed to the programme.
He specially thanked the Chief Executive Officer of MEO Foundation, Pastor Odemaro Sam Obi, for his vision, sacrifice and commitment to investing in the lives of young people.
“Today, we may close the classrooms, but the impact must remain,” Ohwobete said, expressing hope that the seeds planted through the programme would produce confidence, character, excellence and purpose among the students.
Also speaking, the Chief Steward of the Ibrede Grammar School Old Students Association (IGSOSA), Ubiomo Iruke, appreciated the Michael Emetomor Obi family, including Obi Joseph, Obi Odemaro, Julie Obi, Infoke Obi and Obi Ambrose, for their contributions to the community.
Iruke said the programme had showcased the positive impact of education and the achievements that could emerge when young people were given the right opportunities.
“Today, we have experienced another side of IGSOSA. Today, we have a taste of some of the fruits produced by Ibrede Grammar School—fruits for you, fruits for Ibrede community in general, fruits for IGSOSA and fruits for the entire world,” he said.
He reaffirmed his conviction that education remained a powerful tool for transformation, adding that “with education, one tree can indeed make a forest.”
The ceremony featured the presentation of gifts and prizes to participating students and winners of various competitions, as well as cultural dances and displays by students of Ibrede Grammar School.
The organisers expressed optimism that the MEO Foundation Youth Club Summer School would become a sustained platform for academic development, leadership building and community transformation in Ibrede.
