Sterling Homes Fetes Future Homeowners in 27 Lagos Schools on Children’s Day

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

Shrieks of excitement rend the air at Ilupeju Secondary School, Lagos, venue of a special ceremony Sterling Homes Limited, a high-profile real estate developer, held in partnership with the Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA to mark the 2021 Children’s Day, recently.

Sterling Homes’ Children’s Day celebration was organised for pupils in 27 primary schools in Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA of Lagos State, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), which prioritises education.

The LCDA Chairman, Razaq Olusola Ajala, who was represented by the Deputy Chairman, Seyi Jakande had said, “We’re definitely excited for what’s about to unfold.”

The event included ‘march-past’ competition and the pupils had a fun-filled Children’s Day, as it used to be in those good old days, according to the Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Homes, Dr. Kunle Adeyemi on the sideline of the event, saying it stems from their desire to make the children know and feel that it is a day when they must be celebrated.

“Today is Children’s Day, and part of our value, as an organisation, is to promote excellence and we are very particular about the future and that is why we invest so much in education. “Every year in our 11 years of existence as an organisation, we give back to the society and our target has been the children, particularly school children. We have had the privilege to build schools, renovate others; we have done a whole lot. This year, the long-forgotten Children’s Day that every kid looks forward to, we tend to revamp it. It makes them happy, as you can see they are already dancing, excited about the whole thing. So what we are doing basically is to bring back this culture where children know that a day in the 365 days is dedicated solely for them. And as an organisation that believes solely in education and children, because we believe they are the future, we partner with Lagos state government, particularly Odi-olowo Local Government Area. We partner with them and we have 27 public schools and even more that are here because for us, love is giving to the most neglected expecting nothing in return. So we are not expecting anything but we are giving love to the most neglected.”

Adeyemi said, “The future lies within these kids, if the past generation has failed and this generation possibly has failed, this one must not fail. So we want to inculcate into them the spirit of excellence and let them know that they are appreciated, that we celebrate them and they are our hope for the future. As an organisation, this is one of our corporate social responsibility. In the course of the year, we are also doing a face-lifting to about 26 schools in Mushin Local Government which suggests that we are going to paint all the schools. This costs some millions of Naira, but we are passionate and committed to that.”
He said Sterling Homes equipped some schools with children having hearing impairment with educational tools and renovated other schools.

He said, “We assisted over 400 students, that is, special kids with disabilities, we got the school a lot of electronics and teaching aids. Year in, year out we have been doing this and here we are with thousands of students here represented across 27 schools within the local governments that we are dealing with this year. “This is what we want to do every year, we want to bring back the children’s school celebration and next year is going to be bigger, we are probably going to be having 100 schools next year and another time we will be privileged to host the whole schools in Lagos state and celebrate the Children’s Day with them.”

Presenting the Chairman’s speech, the Deputy Chairman, Jakande said, “It’s a special day to recognise, honour, celebrate and appreciate our children. Children are gifts from God, regardless of their sex and physical state or condition. They are the future of many generations to come, so attention must be paid to their spiritual, physical, emotional and educational well-being.”

He said it was important to see the children population as human capital, stating that “if our society must be set on the path of greatness, then we must start by stimulating their interest in qualitative education.”

In a goodwill message Mr. Jakande read on behalf of the LCDA Chairman, Razaq Olusola Ajala, they outlined some of the achievements of their administration, particularly in the area of educational development. These include the construction of blocks of classrooms, and renovation works, as well as provision of water in some schools.

He said the LCDA has special financial support for all the 27 secondary schools in their domain for use in annual sporting events and that the students are conveyed to and from school in two new buses purchased by them. The students are also supported with teaching aids and payment of necessary fees, to enable them take part in national examinations. “We have awarded bursary to 250 students in their community.”

He said in doing this, the physically challenged students are not left behind, advising parents on the imperative of good parenting and devote more time for the children and, more importantly, live exemplary lifestyle to rid the society of vices.

He thanked Sterling Homes for partnering with them to host the Children’s Day celebration.