The Onyeisi Care Foundation has begun the first phase of its #Street2School project, enrolling no less than 1,850 children into its schooling program nationwide.

The initiative, which was launched in October, rolled out the first cohort of its program on Wednesday, which included 13 pupils pulled from the Kaura District Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp and the surrounding neighbourhood.

The pioneer of the initiative, Kenneth Ogbodo, on Thursday, disclosed that the efforts in underdeveloped areas of the FCT are being replicated in over 111 local government areas and almost 200 schools across the country.

“We are presently making these efforts across 111 local governments of the federation involving almost 200 public and private primary schools. Though we are limited in funds, we believe our goal for the pilot phase, which is to give full scholarships, and provide study materials, school bags, and school uniforms for at least 1,850 out-of-school or less privileged children across Nigeria, is achievable,” Mr Ogbodo said.

Mr Ogbodo also added that while the planned numbers are definite, the organisation also provided relief for children desperately in need, as this will keep them in school.

“It actually cost less to keep children in school than to make first enrollments. So even though we have our targets, when we meet children in schools who are on the verge of dropping out, we invest efforts to keep them in school.

“We also had the opportunity to meet a cross-section of the parents of the pupils, who expressed great joy and thanked our donors for relieving them of a huge financial burden that they had struggled to bear. The journey of a thousand miles, they say, starts with a step; we will not back down on our resolve until education becomes sustainable, free, and easily accessible to every child in Nigeria,” he added.