By Chizoba Njaka
The Lions Clubs International District 404A2 Nigeria, Region 11, has renewed its commitment to supporting vulnerable people and communities through education, humanitarian services and other community-based initiatives. The organisation reaffirmed the commitment on Sept . 25, when members visited Community Secondary School, Okpuno, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, to mark World Literacy Day and provide educational support to students.
Speaking during the programme the Chairperson of Region 11, Lion Kenneth Nnamani, said the Lions remained focused on identifying individuals and communities in need and providing practical assistance capable of improving their wellbeing.
Nnamani explained that the World Literacy Day programme was originally scheduled for September 8 but was postponed because schools had not resumed. He said the organisation was founded on the principle of reaching out directly to people in need rather than leaving them to depend on leftovers from society.
He recalled the long-standing involvement of Lions Clubs International in sight-related interventions, particularly following the 1921 appeal by Helen Keller for the organisation to support people living with blindness.
The Chairperson urged the students to take reading and writing seriously, stressing that education plays an important role in personal development and societal progress. He also acknowledged the contribution of teachers and trainers in preparing younger generations for the future.
The Principal of Community Secondary School, Okpuno, Lady Eucharia Osibe, expressed appreciation to the Lions for selecting the school for the literacy programme, describing the gesture as overwhelming. Osibe encouraged the organisation to sustain its relationship with the school and assured members of the management’s commitment to supporting the students’ development.
She expressed confidence that the beneficiaries would reciprocate the gesture through improved commitment to their studies. The immediate past Chairperson of Region 9, Lion Vivian Chioma Agubosim, recalled that the former Region 9 was divided into Regions 10 and 11 following the growth and expansion of Lions Clubs activities in the Southeast.
Agubosim urged members and their successors to preserve the organisation’s legacy and remain committed to its core values of service to humanity.
The President of Awka Smithland Lions Club International, Lion Jane Dibor, explained that the initiative was designed to provide students with writing materials, particularly those who could not afford such items.
Also speaking, the Chairperson of Onitsha Ado Central Lions Club, Lion Vivian Obianuju Egbuchie, described the programme as the first regional project of the current Lionistic year. Egbuchie said the school was selected because of its strategic location at the geographical centre of Region 11, making it accessible to Lions members from across the region, which covers Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi, among other areas.
She added that the club had carried out several humanitarian interventions, including hospital visits, provision of materials to health facilities, feeding programmes and other community-based projects.
Another member, Lion Agbo Emmanuel Amaechi, said the study materials were distributed to encourage the students and make them feel supported. He noted that literacy programmes were part of the organisation’s regular community outreach and advised the students to use their time wisely while in school.
Responding on behalf of the students, Isiokwe Faith and Emmanuel Godspower thanked the Lions Club for its generosity and promised to remain committed to their studies.
Chizoba Njaka is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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