The atmosphere at Rochas Foundation College, Owerri, Imo State, Thursday was electrifying, as Ibidapo Lawal Foundation in collaboration with Rochas Foundation organised a feast to celebrate the students.
Rochas Foundation College is a non-fee paying school, geared towards providing free and qualitative education for intelligent, but less-privileged children in the society.
The school provides students with uniforms, sandals and all learning materials.
Angela Nkaro, principal, Rochas Foundation College Owerri, the first of the 13 colleges, in different parts of Nigeria and funded by Rochas Foundation, explained that the Foundation was known for sharing love, putting smiles on faces, lifting the down-troden and helping the poor.
She also said that the management initiated a programme some years ago tagged “Rotop” and other programmes, to reach out to the needy, the poor and the homeless, noting that Ibidapo Lawal Foundation supported this year’s event to celebrate the children.
Rochas Foundation College, which started 22 years ago in Owerri, imo State, now has 13 schools in different parts of Nigeria and Africa. It has graduated more than 5,000 students, who are now professionals in different fields of endeavour.
This year is the 17th set of the school.
On the selection process, Nkaro, explained that the management uses different media sources, as well as announcements in Churches and communities to call for nominations and applications.
“We also rely on Motherless babies homes for our intakes”.
She however, stated that the management verifies the true status of the children to be sure that the candidates fit their requirements, before they are put to test, and those that pass the test get admitted in the school.
In her words, “All we need is to get these special children, who due to poor family backgrounds are not in school. Our interest is to bring such children out of the street. The slogan of RFC is “Let Education be Free”, so that the children of the poorest of the poor goes to school”.
She appealed to those, who knows such children to recommend them to RFC.
Nkaro, while appreciating Rochas Okorocha, former Governor of Imo State and founder of RFC, described him, as a man with a big heart.
According to the Principal RFC, Okorocha is love and charity personified. He is someone that has the interest of the poor at heart and I feel that was what motivated him to set up this foundation, which is bringing people out of poverty.
This is as she also thanked Ibidapo Lawal Foundation for supporting the school, by donating books and other materials to aid the students.
The Ibidapo Lawal Foundation donated books, academic materials and food items worth millions of naira to over 8000 students of Rochas Foundation Colleges.
The aim of the donation by Ibidapo Lawal Foundation is to help and support indigent children to have access to quality education and to demonstrate love and provide comfort to children of the less privileged in all parts of the country.
It called on well-spirited individuals and organisations to show love and kindness to all children, especially, those from less privileged backgrounds in the country.
It also called on well-meaning Nigerians to sponsor and support at least a child of the poor to go to school, so as to reduce the rate of illiteracy and also build a better future for all children in the country, irrespective of their background.
The children, who were excited, entertained their guests, including their parents with debate, drama and dance.
(Business Day)
