27 Riverine Children Benefit from Olu of Warri, Wife’s Foundation
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Ogiame Atuwatse III, Olu of Warri and Olori Atuwatse III’s Royal Iwere Foundation (RIF), have partnered with Valley Stream British Academy (VAB), Sapele, to provide 27 children of primary and secondary school enrolment age with three to six-year scholarships.
A statement describing it as ‘remarkable’, noted that the move was in an effort to advance access to education opportunities for children in underserved communities within the Warri Kingdom.
The partnership, according to the statement, exemplifies a strong commitment from RIF and VAB to cultivate future leaders who will contribute to the socio-economic advancement of the Warri Kingdom and impact the global landscape.
Speaking on the importance of the RIF Scholarship Fund, Olori Atuwatse III stated:“The agency to transform our country and continent is education. We understand how critical it is for our children to access quality developmental education.
“This is why we invest robustly in education at the Royal Iwere Foundation to ensure the potential of marginalised communities, especially the riverine, are not sidelined. I also applaud the management and staff of the Valley Stream British Academy, Sapele, for supporting this vision to nurture great minds regardless of their backgrounds.
“I also use this opportunity to encourage more education institutions across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels to partner with us, as over 20 million children are out of school according to the UNESCO Global Education Report and we have many more lives to impact.”
She added that RIF was resolute in its mission to empower and nurture great minds in the Warri Kingdom, explaining that there was need to equip these children who are the leaders of tomorrow.
The RIF Scholarship Fund is an initiative under the Education Project pillar of the Royal Iwere Foundation, the humanitarian arm of the Warri Kingdom Monarchy.
The pillar has been described as a catalyst for positive change, and has created educational pathways through pipeline projects such as the Teachers Training Programme, Teach For RIF, Love Gardens, STEM Hub Boot Camp and Story Time with Mama Iwere.
It also includes Raising Royalty Academy for riverine children and youths in underprivileged communities of the Warri Kingdom to achieve their academic goals and contribute to the socio-economic advancement of Warri Kingdom, Delta State and Nigeria at large.
The RIF Scholarship Fund works closely with community leaders, parents, and partner schools to provide comprehensive support across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education.
Since its inception, it has impacted 43 beneficiaries: 22 at the primary level, 18 at the secondary level, and three at the university level, ranging from nine to 25, including 19 males and 21 females across 15 communities in Warri.
The annual net worth of the scholarships is currently valued between N150,000,000 and N200,000,000, the statement said.
The primary and secondary levels of the RIF Scholarship Fund provide three-six years of quality education to underprivileged children aged nine-13 in reputable South-south Nigerian schools.
The multi-layered programme identifies underserved communities, invites pupils for assessment tests, and offers a six-eight week boarding programme with dedicated teachers, a custom curriculum, and support from child therapists and medical practitioners.
The fund wraps up with scholarship exams and on-boarding for successful pupils who undergo medicals and complete documentation before starting their new schools. Beneficiaries also join RIF’s Raising Royalty Academy, gaining access to summer camps, leadership coaching, and development programmes for global opportunities.
