Junior Chambers International (JCI) Ikeja, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has donated six toilets to Comprehensive High School, Ketu-Alapere, Lagos.
The membership-based non-profit organisation of young people partnered with Azvina Idowu Foundation in the project.
Nigeria is rated as the country with the highest rate of open defecation in the world after India, a development that is responsible for outbreak of epidemics in some communities.
Speaking during the official presentation, the project team lead Ruth Idowu said the NGO decided to reach out to the school after a visit to the school and realised the need to provide an improved form of sanitation facilities in the school. “Our initial plan was to refurbish the already existing toilet, but along the line we realise, even if we refurbish that, the pressure will still be much on it because it would not be enough to take care of the population of the students.
“So, we decided to construct new ones, the project has cost well over N3million, we are able to raise such fund through the partnership of individual and organisation, people with like mind, people that have a need for humanitarian service, we reached out to them and show them our need, it is a collaborative effort,” she said.
JCI Ikeja president Tricia Inalu said, “We are handling them over to the school authority and we would return here and see that they are been used assiduously, we have also set up a monitoring committee to come and inspect the project at lease once a month.”
The school principal Adedeji Adesanmi commended the NGO, saying: “We are very happy for this kind gestures coming from young Nigerians, I am amaze we still have young people with good intend and initiative, I pray for God wisdom upon them and for his reward to located them. We promise to put this project to good use.”
Also in attendance at the commissioning was the national president of Junior Chamber International Nigeria (JCIN) ambasaador Abiola Olorunnisola who expressed his excitement for the laudable project and also encouraged the school to put to good use and ensure it is well maintained.
This project is the 2021 edition of the annual flagship project of JCI Ikeja tagged Big Broda Project which has been running and touching lives for over 15 years.
