Standard Education and Scholarship
One of the main goals of the Fountain of Joy and Comfort Foundation (FJC) is to promote standard education. We provide scholarships to brilliant children from poor homes. We are committed to make learning exciting and the environment conducive. FJC has constructed a standard primary school at Ani-Nwachokor and rehabilitated a secondary school as a donation to a community in Ute-Ojbeje in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State. Presently, Fountain of Joy and Comfort Foundation is building a world class Secondary school and University in furtherance of its commitment to promote standard education.
Besides working to improve access to high quality and standard education (primary & secondary) for over 3,000 students, FJC targets Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) within developing communities. We aim to reduce the reasons for school dropouts, improve educational infrastructure, provide materials and equipment, as well as enact various empowerment package for schools in our target communities.
Over the last decade, Nigeria’s exponential growth in population has put immense pressure on the country’s resources and on an already overstretched public service infrastructure. With children under 15 years of age accounting for about 45 per cent of the country’s population, the burden on education and other sectors has become overwhelming. Forty percent of Nigerian children aged 6-11 do not attend any primary school, despite a significant increase in net enrolment rates in recent years. It is estimated that about 4.7 million children of primary school age are still not in school.
This situation is being addressed by current efforts of the Nigerian Government with the implementation of the Basic Education scheme. The compulsory, free Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act was passed into law in 2004 and represents the Government’s strategy to fight illiteracy and extend basic education opportunities to all children in the country.
However, the number of schools facilities and teachers available for basic education remains inadequate for the eligible number of children and youths. This is more so in urban areas where there is population pressure. Under these conditions, teaching and learning cannot be effective; hence the outcomes are usually below expectation.
Many children do not attend school because their labour is needed to either help at home or to bring additional income into the family. Many families cannot afford the associated costs of sending their children to school such as uniforms and textbooks. For others, the distance to the nearest school is a major hindrance.
The above are gloomy facts about education in Nigeria which Fountain of Joy and Comfort Foundation is working to change. We act as the ripple the society needs to push the scourge of illiteracy, school dropouts and low standard in education back so educational growth can be uniform regardless of area, size or financial status.
