SDGs: Blossom Africa Initiative Tasks Well Meaning Nigerians on Partnership

The Blossom Africa Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has donated free school uniforms to indigent primary school pupils in Lagos State in its  resolve to ensure that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations takes effect in Nigeria.

The group, which took the SDGs campaigns to Agidingbi Primary School, Ikeja, Lagos gave new uniforms to indigent pupils who were wearing torn uniforms.

The President of the group, Mr. Tope Musowo, who led the group to the school, said that they felt the need to intervene seeing pupils wearing torn uniforms to schools.

According to him, the group decided to provide school uniforms in its bid to contribute toward the realisation of the first SDGs which bothers on waging war against abject poverty ravaging the society.

"We are giving these uniforms to assist students whose parents are finding it difficult to change their wornout dresses. We became worried seeing some of these students in this situation. 

"Wearing torn and old uniforms to schools has a way of affecting the psychology, emotion, self-esteem of these students, thereby affecting their students.

"It is poverty that makes students go to school with torn uniforms. We don't just teach SDGs, we want to practise them. 

"It is poverty for parents to see their children going to school barefoot and with torn uniforms without doing anything about it, that is why we are doing this as  our own contribution to the society.

"The government cannot do it all, well meaning Nigerians should rise up to ensure realisation of SDAs," he said.

He said that the exercise would be replicated in other schools in fulfilment of the SDGs.

Musowo added: "The organisation is out to create awareness about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and to awaken the consciousness of our people towards their roles in the actualisation. 

"We discovered that one of the reasons none of the African countries achieved the Millennium Development Goals is because the awareness was too low, that is why we are creating awareness about the SDGs .

"We are not just creating awareness, we are also demonstrating what we are talking, that is why we are distributing free uniforms to students."

In her response, the Assistant Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Janet Agbebi, who commended the group for the gesture, said that it would go a long way to motivate the pupils.

According to Agbebi, "some students stopped coming to school because their uniforms are in bad conditions."

Two of the beneficiaries, Miss Kadijat Mohammed and Master Ibrahim Rilwan commended the group for the gesture, saying that it would help them to concentrate on their study.