Greensprings School Awards Scholarship to Public School Students

Uchechukwu Nnaike

From public primary schools in the Anthony and Lekki areas of Lagos, and probably expected to proceed to nearby public secondary schools, the lives of five children took a pleasant turnaround with the recent award of full scholarship by Greensprings School for their secondary education at the school.

The awardees are Afolashade Adebowale from Idi-Odo Primary school, Michael Nwaoha, Adaranijo Primary School; Aliyah Munir, Real Mercy School, Oko-Oba; Deborah Adewale, Community Primary School, Adeba; and Favour Babatunde, Community Primary School, Abijo.

They defeated 45 others who were selected from 10 public primary schools around the schools Lekki and Anthony campuses.

Speaking at the award ceremony, the CEO of Greensprings School, Mrs, Lai Koiki, said the scholarship began about 10 years ago but was for sports scholars in partnership with the Lagos government. But for two years, the annual football academy could not hold because of COVID-19.

According to Koiki, the scholarship will give underserved children a platform to excel so that they can go back to their communities and make a change.

On the selection process, she said the school approached the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to reach out to headteachers of five primary schools around Anthony and Awoyaya communities. Each school brought its best five pupils. After tests and interviews, 12 were selected.

The students and their parents expressed gratitude for the scholarships. Sharing their experience at Greensprings School so far, the students who are gradually settling in, said they have made friends and their classmates are nice to them and also lend them laptops to do their assignments.

To their delight, Koiki promised to give them laptops as part of their educational materials.

In an emotional show of appreciation, a parent of an awardee, Mrs. Elizabeth Adewale, said when her husband told her about the scholarship, she thought it was a dream until she saw the school uniforms and other supplies.

In her remarks, the head of the school, Mrs. Feyisara Ojugo, said at the heart of the school’s activities is service. She said the beneficiaries of the school’s heart of service, will in addition to their academics, learn what it means to think about other people and give back to society.

Responding, a director in Co-curricular Department, SUBEB, Mrs. Folashade Abass, who could not conceal her excitement, thanked the school for giving the indigent children a lifetime opportunity. She also applauded the private sector’s participation in the education of indigent students in the state. She advised the awardees to study hard, as the only way to reciprocate the gesture is by excelling in their academics.