RESPECT is growing everyday, everywhere!
RESPECT Nigeria News
July - October 2005
Pen Pal Letters
Pen pal letters have been continuously sent to UK, Canada, and USA every month not forgetting that we also received pen pals for our refugee students at the Oru camp and non-refugee students in Nigeria. Thereby bridging the gap between the refugees and non-refugees.
We received a request for twenty pen pal letters from university students in Canada coordinated by Meesa Chungfat and the pen pal letters have been sent this month. We are expecting replies from Winona School Canada coordinated by Alexia Pearce (101 Winona St. Toronto, Ontario M6G 3S8) and students from Stevenson Britannia most especially RSJ Parker.
We received letters this month from Fort Richmond Collegiate High School after two replies from our students in Nigeria, coordinators Lasha and Shannon.
RESPECT University
RESPECT Nigeria has been coordinating RESPECT University courses in the last few months through the coordinator Iona Lister and other Volunteer Lectures through the snail mail medium. The course is meant for the personal development of Refugees at the Oru camp. Accounting and business skills course taught by David Beasley (Australia), English for academic purposes by Iona Lister (UK), Teacher training course by Heather Lister (UK), Cartooning and Comics for Change by Melody (aka Mel) Basham(US)and Creative writing to mention a few. On behalf of the Oru refugees, I want to state here that these courses has been very interesting and has already started making positive impact on them, even though they have less than nine months to complete their courses.
Refugees are making more requests for other courses such as sociology, Philosophy, and humanities.
RESPECT Nigeria in Kano
Abdul Malik Inusa Abdulrasheed and Babangida Danjuma Garba are RESPECT Nigeria volunteers in Kano (northern part of the country). They have been contacting and introducing RESPECT Nigeria/International to the Kano State Government. We look forward to more reports from them and recent happenings at the refugee communities at Dorayi quarters by Bayero University Kano.
Martin Webb, standing, leading a film making workshop for refugee students.
Film Making Workshop
RESPECT Nigeria in close association with Bournemouth University UK and National Film Institute, Jos, Nigeria organized a one day workshop title: "The Industry : The Film Making".
The workshop was attended by interested refugees in the film making industry. The resource person is Martin Webb from Bournemouth University UK.
Donations
RESPECT Nigeria in the past few months received a consignment of novels and children stories of 25 pounds (around 11kg) from Palo Alto public library in USA with effortless contribution from Madhuri who has been the coordinator of getting the free books and his shared vision of establishing a library at the Oru refugee primary school strictly for the children, with great assistance in packaging and donating shipping cost from:
Francis Abayomi during presentation of books and writing material to Oru Refugee Primary
School pupils.
- Vinay Yadappanavar
- Smita Shrivastava
- Karen Bobonich
- Subhashini Parasuraman
- Vasudha Krishnaswamy
- Shuba Swaminathan
- Murali Murugesan
- Venky Radhakrishnan
The books were sent and received in Nigeria after more than three months.
RESPECT Nigeria received great assistance from
Oru Refugee Primary School pupils during presentation of books.
Oru Refugee Primary School pupils, teachers, and RESPECT Nigeria volunteers after presentation.
- Nwaji Jibunoh
- Utonnwa Okezie
- David Abitoye
- Foluke Ogunbekun
- Esther
- Daisi Jesujobi
- Biodun
- Olaolu Akinola
- Ope
- Nike Akinlade
- Mame-Duku
- Collins
- Slyvester Aigbogun
- Nduka Okisor
- Femi Alaga
- Jones Anosike
- Busola Adeniran
- Ibilola
- Taiwo
- Paul Uloko
- Omoruyi Osagiede
- Jide Adesanya
- Nkem Agboti
- Abiola Ojo Osagie
- Leke Olufade
- Obim Ogbe
- Kemi Adeniji
- Yinka Adebesin
- Adedoyin Odunfa
- Oyebola Alu
- Anonymous
These Noble volunteers donated Funds for the purchased for the educational sponsorship writing materials and Text books for pupils of Oru Refugee Primary School. This is a vision: "Sponsor a Child Project" was coordinated by 'Lola Olasehan, who with due respect, I will describe as the most distinctive active volunteer we have in Nigeria. She has assisted in raising funds for the Oru Primary school children and writing letters.
Meesa Chungfat made a solo effort to ensure that $1000 was raised for the shipment cost of computers from the world computer exchange program which RESPECT Nigeria/International is involved in. I will equally describe her has a magnificent online volunteer with Nigeria. Meesa had since deposited $1000 in RESPECT International account and remains there till there is a reliable arrangement made for shipping these computers to Nigeria.
The impetus coming after reading our 2004 annual report, David Beasley promised assisting RESPECT Nigeria financially, to offset postal fees of Pen pal letters and distance learning courses, transport, emails expenses to mention a few. I am happy to inform you that he has started to fulfill his promise (AUD$100) and we hope he continues in the subsequent months. We express our gratitude to him.
Sponsorship
RESPECT Nigeria is truly a sponsorship affiliate with RESPECT International. A shipment of books weighing twenty-five pounds (around 11kg) from Palo Alto public library in USA was received through Madhuri and volunteers by the country coordinator of RESPECT Nigeria, Francis ABAYOMI in the presence of Mikado Wayko, Inza Quattara and Deo Linda Iloba. The books were donated to the head teacher, staff, teachers, and pupils of Oru Refugee Primary School, Oru, Ogun State for the establishment of a school library for the children.
From left Delinda (Sierra Leonian) Teacher and RESPECT Volunteer; The Principal Oru
Refugee Primary School, Victor Amos RESPECT Volunteer; Teachers of Oru Refugee Primary School;
from right: Francis Abayomi; and Mikado Wayko carrying a Box of school chalk, before
presentation.
As the new academic session resumes in Nigeria, RESPECT Nigeria donated educational materials to the Oru Refugee Primary School. This is to fulfill her mandate/vision. The materials will be used by the head teacher, staff, teachers and pupils of the school. The educational materials included biros, exercise books (2A & 2B), erasers, sharpeners, pencils, rulers, crayons, textbooks for mathematics, English, social studies, elementary sciences, school chalks and provision of funds for the repair of primary four black board to mention a few.
This is vision fulfilled was initiated by Francis ABAYOMI with great assistance from 'Lola Olasehan mainly to bring back children who stop schooling because they could not afford these stated materials and to encourage teachers and children to succeed in their academic endeavors.
About 700 children were reported to enroll in the school few years ago, and presently the Oru Refugee Primary School has about 200 children. Since it is our interest to bring them back to school and hearing about sponsorship I feel they should come back.
Francis Abayomi and Victor Amos presenting a packet of chalk and a ream of typing paper
to students of Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Oru Camp.
RESPECT Nigeria made another contribution as a motivation for the students of typewriting students of Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) at the Oru refugee camp by donating one packet of chalk and one ream of typing paper to assist them in their active practice in their forth coming final examination. Most of these refugee students are RESPECT Nigeria Pen pal students and RESPECT University students.
Please watch out for more picture news about these activities and donations in the RESPECT e-Zine. I am sorry that at the time of this report the pictures are yet ready.
Look in The Future
A peep into the book I read that keeps me going.....
Denis Waithey from Seeds of Greatness He says "It is not what you get that makes you successful, it is what you are continuing to do with what you've got."
"Double win: if I help you with your needs, then I win too!"
"Total success is the continuing involvement in the pursuit of a worthy ideal, which is being realised for the benefit of others - rather than at their expense."
RESPECT Nigeria looks in the future to further its Sponsorship drive at the Oru Refugee Camp and Primary School.
Peace Kids at the closure of two week workshop on conflict resolution management,
Oru Refugee Camp. (April 2004).
We shall continue to receive and donate children books and educational materials at the Oru Refugee Primary School to further establish the library and bring back children out off school back and assisting in educational materials RESPECT Nigeria hopes to pay for the computer training of teachers of Oru Refugee Primary School and probably donating a computer for each child to be computer literate.
We intend to bring what is happening in other private schools to Oru refugee Primary School.
RESPECT Nigeria would be seeking volunteers in UK, USA, Canada, and Europe that would be interested in coming to Oru Refugee Primary School and teaching, playing and working for at least one to two months.
Donation of nutritional goods such as orange drinks, milk (powdered or liquid), and toys to the "Refugee Children Assisted Program" (RECAP). This is a children's organization under the leadership of Hawa M. Porte (Liberian) Oru refugee camp.
Finally
I would love to acknowledge efforts of Iona Lister, Madhuri, Marc, Meesa, 'Lola Olasehan, David Beasley and a host of online volunteers who I have mentioned earlier in donations and giving us advice. We are indebted! I will continue to say that everyone has been wonderful and supportive. I believe that by carrying out both small and large acts we are reinforcing old aspects and building on the new that are materializing for RESPECT Nigeria.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but
where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.
- Martin Luther King, Jr., Clergyman, Civil Rights Leader
Do what you love, love what you do, and deliver more than you promise.
– Harvey Mackay, American Businessman/Speaker/Author
Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.
– George Halas, 1895-1983, American Football Player/Coach/Owner
