Unless help comes their way, the over 45 pupils of Under the Bridge Initiative, Arepo, Ogun State, may have to go back to the streets as the church space which they used as classroom has been slated for demolition.
Lead Volunteer, Under the Bridge Initiative, Amaka Ndidi, who made this known over the weekend said that the pupils and the Volunteers who in the past three years have found a new lease of life, are about going back to the streets as the new owners of a rented building by a parish of the Lagos Province 77, Redeemed Christian Church of God, is to be put into another use.
She said: “The Church, a Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, gave us their space for us to use as Classrooms have now moved to a hotel where they would hold their weekly service.
“This came about because the owner of the property has sold it and new owners are going to put it to another use, hence they served us notice to quit which expired Tuesday, December 31.
“We thought of moving to another place, but we cannot afford the rent in Arepo which goes for over #2 million Naira per year. What this means is that the pupils, victims of the Boko Haram insurgency who fled from the North East and used to beg for alms, would go back to the streets.
It would be recalled that Under the Bridge Initiative, a Non – Governmental Organisation (NGO) founded by Mrs Ibukun Adeoye, came into the consciousness of Sunday Telegraph readers in June last year, when the efforts of Adeoye and her Volunteers was first reported.
Then, the immediate past Pastor in Charge of Lagos Province 77, Pastor Noruwa Edokpolo had led a team comprising of the Assistant Pastor in – charge of Province (Administration) Pastor (Mrs) Constance Iweanya and Assistant Pastor in Charge(CSR), Pastor Olushola Sanni, to identify with the NGO and to look for possible way to ease their burden, hence, the space – Mercy Seat Parish, which he gave them to use without any monetary consideration.
“Right now, we may have to stop the programme as we do not have a place to move to,” Ndidi said.
She continued: “We do not have any place to move into as the cost of rent is too high in Arepo. Since August when we were served the Quit Notice, we have deployed different methods of raising funds, but unfortunately, we have not been able to garner the support needed,” she said in a voice laden with a tinge of sadness.
Currently, the pupils who were picked Under the Bridge, used to beg motorists for alms on behalf of their parents, came from different parts of the North East, in the heat of the Boko Haram insurgency with some of them losing their parents.
It was out of concern to remove them from the streets that made Adeoye start the Under the Bridge Initiative.
She said in a previous interview with Sunday Telegraph: “We had to go to their parents to release them for us, teach them formal education. It would interest you to know that some of these children have great ambition as we have those of them who want to become pilots and medical doctors. They have shown traces of these.
“We are preparing them for common entrance. We have primary 4 and we intend to prepare the senior class for common entrance as they progress to primary 6.
“The pupils and their parents are devastated. The volunteers are also devastated but are looking out for opportunities for a new space.”
The Under the Bridge Initiative is focused on providing education for street children like the Almajiris and internally displaced children. It has been in operation for 3 years and 3 months.
Aside from formal education the NGO also engage them in informal education like chess, aerobics and other indoor games.
Its major challenges include: A space, stationery, staff salaries, food, a bus and Volunteers among others
Right now, we have 4 consistent volunteers and this is barely enough to cover the number of children we have. We had to turn some of them away last term due to the work load,” she added.
To contact us pls send an email to *[email protected] or call Amaka on 07040360353 or Ibukun on 08024980382.
