Over 260 schoolchildren, including special needs pupils, in the Imota area of Lagos received free school uniforms, schoolbags, books, and empowerment training on Saturday, 2nd August, in a heart-warming outreach aimed at restoring dignity to underserved Nigerian children.
The initiative, organised by the Sogebra Empowerment Foundation, took place at Odus Compound, Imota, as part of the foundation’s second Back-to-School Items Distribution. Many of the beneficiaries had previously attended school carrying cracked paint buckets or black polythene bags instead of proper schoolbags. They left the event not just with learning materials but with renewed hope.
Founder of the foundation, Sola Adeola, said the outreach was inspired by a personal story from her childhood—that of a brilliant schoolboy who died by suicide after being mocked for carrying his books in a polythene bag.
“That story stayed with me,” she told Edutimes Africa.
“Perhaps that’s why I wept silently as a child when I couldn’t afford nice things. I wore the same two white shirts and one skirt from SS1 to SS3. Still, I excelled — because I knew education was my ticket forward.”
Adeola said she was overcome with emotion as she walked through Idumota Market on 30th July, purchasing uniforms — not for herself this time, but for children who reminded her of her younger self.
With support from international stationery brand BIC, which donated schoolbags, books, and colouring packs, the outreach merged material aid with hands-on empowerment. Pupils participated in skill-building workshops in adire (tie and dye), pastry-making, and public speaking.
“This was not just charity,” Adeola said. “We empowered them. We told them they matter.”
Volunteers also organised games, music, motivational talks and a values-based session centred on the foundation’s guiding acronym: D.R.E.A.M. —
Dare to Dream, Read and Learn Daily, Engage with Good People, Act on Your Goals, Make Good Choices.
“The children heard what no textbook will ever teach them,” she added. “You can be anything. Just D.R.E.A.M. it — and work for it.”
Dignity, Not Just Donations
Adeola noted that the most pressing challenge facing many Nigerian pupils is not just poverty but the erosion of dignity. “We saw children in uniforms so worn they wouldn’t pass for rags,” she said. “One young girl quietly told us, ‘I’ve never had a schoolbag before.’ That broke me.”
She added, “I also didn’t mention earlier that we had some special needs pupils among the beneficiaries—children often forgotten in such interventions. Their inclusion was important and deliberate.”
A National Call to Action
According to UNICEF, over 10.2 million Nigerian children are currently out of school. But even among those enrolled, many struggle without basic learning tools or emotional support.
Adeola called on alumni associations, faith-based groups, corporate organisations, government agencies, and private citizens to act.
“We’re not just giving out uniforms,” she said. “We’re restoring confidence. We’re not just handing out bags. We’re opening doors. We’re not running a project — we’re raising a generation.”
She added: “We don’t care how you show up — just show up. Support. Give. Volunteer. Spread the word.”
Looking Ahead
The Sogebra Empowerment Foundation says it plans to expand the outreach to other underserved communities across the country.
“As long as children are showing up to school with polythene bags and no sense of pride, our work is not done,” Adeola said. “From polythene bags to possibilities, we are reclaiming dignity — one child at a time.”
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EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
