Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Umu-Igbo Unite Care, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has built a 10-room toilet facilities and overhead water tanks for Trans-Ekulu Girls Secondary School, Enugu, to end open defecation in the school.
The Project Coordinator of the NGO in Enugu, Miss Faith-Victor Onyekwere, disclosed this during the inauguration of the facilities at the school.
Onyekwere said that her organisation, based in USA, decided to build the facilities for the students because it would help to end open defecation around the school compound.
“We provided this project so that the girls could be saved from a lot of illnesses associated with open defecation.
“We did not just build modern toilet facilities, we also provided water supply that could be used to pump the water to the two overhead water tanks,” she said.
The project coordinator said that the organisation’s core areas in contributing to the society included education, wealth creation, healthcare accessibility and provision of relief materials to indigent persons in the society.
The Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, represented by Mr Joachim Ofodile, Director, Administration and Supply, Enugu State Ministry Health, commended Umu-Igbo Unite Care for building the modern toilet facilities for the students.
He added that it would go a long way in preventing them from contacting diseases.
He called on other well-meaning persons to also help in other areas of needs in the school.
Earlier, the Principal of the School, Mrs Ijeoma Okpe, who attracted the project, lauded the organisation for building the modern toilet facilities in the school.
“I want to specially thank Umu-Igbo Unite Organisation wherever they are. I appreciate them for making this project a physical reality and helping to write my name in the sand of time and history book of this school.
“I thank wholeheartedly and in a special way, Ikenna and Faith, the foot soldiers and the project supervisor, Donnie Onyeanu, as well as the Civil Engineer of the project, Mr Okey, for his selfless service and a work exquisitely done,” Okpe said.
She expressed her gratitude to some old students of the school, who have partnered with her in many ways in rebranding the school, among whom are Mrs Edith Okoh, who contributed towards making the school library conducive for reading by donating some money for wall fans in the library.
Others included Anita Ebuka and Dr Chigolum Eze, who have been awarding scholarships to students of the school.
She thanked Dr Valentine Ozigbo, former Governorship Candidate in Anambra State, for coming up with a solution that helped her to achieve a better result.
She appealed to everyone to look into the various needs of the school and see where they could help in rebranding the school.
Some students, who spoke to the newsmen, expressed their joy over the facilities.
Miss Chioma Agu, a student of the school, thanked the organisation for providing modern toilets for them.
Another student, Miss Mary Eke, said she was happy to have such toilet facilities in her school.
“Whenever I remember that we have modern toilets in my school I feel so relaxed,” she said.
The highlights of the event were the awards given to some students and teachers, courtesy of Ozigbo.
