The Development Education Centre (DEC), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), on Friday, granted scholarship awards to 100 dropped-out of school girls in South East and North Central geo-political zones.
The Executive Director of DEC, Dr Cecelia Asogwa, announced the awards during the official opening ceremony of the 34th annual convention of DEC assisted women self-help group in South East and North Central in Enugu.
She said that the awards were given to the girls from 12 various communities in Ogbadigbo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, Igalamela/Odolu and Offu LGAs of Kogi State, Isukwuator LGA of Abia and Breme in Nsukka LGA.
According to her, the beneficiaries are currently in senior secondary (SS) 1 and 2.
The executive director also awarded 50 graduands of the DEC skills acquisition project, which included fashion and textile, leather works, make-up artist, cosmetology and bakery.
She added that DEC also provided loan to more than 1,000 clients in its microcredit institution with an average of N100,000 per client, adding that 99 per cent of the clients were women residents in rural communities partnering with DEC in its social services programme.
“DEC Micro Finance Institution is recognising and awarding N150,000 cash to micro-credit self-help group ‘Oji Ofor Gana Women’s Group’ that has worked consistently with DEC for more than 15 years with an unbroken record,” she said.
The Patron of the group, Chief Micheal Osigbo, said that the group was able to receive an award from DEC MFI because of its members’ carefulness in making good use of the loan given to them by the MFI and as well as paying back on time.
“I often advised them to do away with extravagant lifestyle so as to succeed in their businesses with the borrowed money,” Isigbo said.
Earlier, in his opening address, the Chairman, Mr Emeka Odo, said that DEC was founded in 1986 as an NGO to promote rural communities, especially the poor and vulnerable women through education and provision to financial service.
According to Odo, the organisation has grown over the years to become the leading NGO not only in South East region of Nigeria but in Kogi and other surrounding states.,
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the best students from each of the skills were given N50,000 each, sewing machines, gas cookers, and hair dryers, among others.
Also, Sir Fidelis Asogwa Foundation gave bursary award of N80,000 each to 11 indigent students from various tertiary institutions.
Some beneficiaries, who spoke to the media expressed their joy.
Miss Regina John, an SS2 student from St. John De Apostle Secondary School Ogbadigbo LGA thanked DEC for making her to return to school.
Miss Fatima Abdullahi said that DEC had wiped away her tears by giving her the opportunity to go back to school as her parents could not afford to train her due to the financial difficulty in her family.
(NAN)
