By Francis Sadhere/Stella Peredu

The Morgan Smart Development Foundation (MSDF) has yet again put smiles on the faces of the less privileged children in Warri as the foundation gives scholarship awards to twenty-five secondary school indigent students.

The President/CEO, Mogan Smart Develoment Foundation, Dr. Omawumi Urhobo in a group photograph with the awardees.

The twenty-five secondary school children awardees will bring the number of children who have benefited from the benevolent of the foundation to a hundred and one since the creation of the scholarship program in 2010, said the President/Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Mrs Omawumi Evelyn Urhobo.

Mrs. Urhobo who was speaking during the 6^th Scholarship Award Ceremony held at the premises of the foundation in Warri, said that she is targeting five hundred students in the next five years, Just as she called on well meaning individuals in and outside the state to support the foundation in ensuring that children of the less privileged in the society get education.

She noted that with just twenty thousand naira donation, one student will be able to go to school for a whole year as that money could take care of their school uniforms, bags, books and sandals yearly.

The CEO of Morgan Smart Development Foundation noted that her desire to introduce the scholarship scheme was borne out of the fact that she was a product of a scholarship schemme, adding that it was with this gratitude to God that she had “nurtured the desire to give some poor children from poor homes the opportunity to realize their dreams by having access to education unhindered by financial burden.”

While congratulating the awardees of the scholarship, Mrs. Urhobo urged them to take their studies seriously as there was no short cut to success, stressing that education is the key to life and that the only way they can be successful in life is not to engage in any form of exam malpractices.

Talking to the children she said, “I am personally proud of you because of this giant stride into a new life. I have always believed that education is the key to life. To be brilliant and intelligent is special gift of God that is sacrosanct and must never be wasted. You know the competition you went through to get here. You must therefore take your studies seriously. You must always remember that education will give you the opportunity to be whatever you want to be in life. It is a sure and direct way of taking your family and yourself out of poverty.”

She also appealed to well meaning individuals to join hands with the foundation in the life changing program, saying that “when a brilliant child who cannot achieve his or her God given talent through education because of the circumstances of his or her birth,” the burden lies on well meaning individuals to redress the situation.

Mrs. Urhobo added that the scholarship program remains close to her heart because “the surest way of taking a whole family out of poverty is by educating a child in that home. She said the foundation will continue to do its best in its human capital development program.

She urged the parents of the awardees to challenge their children to be of good behavior at all times, saying that being poor does not stop a parent from taking care of their children.

She further charged the parents and guardians of the awardees to always monitor the kind of friends their children keep and make sure that they know where their children are and ensure they are safe before they go to bed.

Speaking at the occasion, the Delta State Commissioner for Education (Basic and Secondary), Mr. Chiedu Ebie, who was represented by the Chief Inspector of Education, Warri South Local Government Area, Dr. Michael Emeshili, commended Dr. Urhobo for giving hope to the less privileged.

He said the ministry of education will continue to partner with the foundation in ensuring that more children get access to education through the scholarship program.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the occasion, Mrs. Florence Ehinlaiye, Proprietress of Twin Fountain Group of Schools, Warri, urged the beneficiaries of the scholarship program to use the opportunity wisely so that they would be able to make the foundation and their parents proud.

Mrs. Ehinlaiye reminded the children that the scholarship was a once in a life time opportunity that can transform their lives for the better, adding that they could grow up to become respectful leaders of tomorrow.

While commending the efforts of the CEO of Morgan Smart Foundation for the good work she is doing in the lives of the less privileged children in the society, Mrs. Ehinlaiye noted that the foundation has greatly helped to remove so many children from the streets by giving education to the less privileged in the society.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to our correspondent expressed their appreciation to the CEO of the foundation, praying that God should continue to bless and give her long life to enable her help more children in the future.

One of the awardees, Miss Obodo Uju said, “I am very happy to be among this year’s awardees and I pray that God will continue to bless the President for her kind gesture towards us. My wish is that, more less privileged children like me will be helped through this foundation.”

Morgan Smart Development Foundation is non-religious and non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of rural and urban poor women and youths for poverty reduction, employment generation and sustainable socio-economic development in the Niger Delta region.

MSDF main objective is to promote poverty alleviation and assist communities to identify developmental gaps, and developing proposal on intervention scheme through participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and other methods, the foundation has worked with local communities in developmental projects/programmmes and implementation of projects.