It was a celebration of intelligence and scholarship for students from four communities in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The Bayo Arowolaju Foundation (BAF), a non-governmental organisation organised quiz competition through which they put on display their innate talents. One of the prize winners received extra prize for her act of honesty because she returned the excess of the money she received as prize winner.
In the society we live where few are billionaires and many sleep without food and shelter, charity and philanthropy on the part of a few kind-hearted individuals becomes the only hope for the survival of many. To donate to charity one needs not to be rich or wealthy. What is needed is the broader outlook to create a better society, a better society for all. Even small donations have an impact.
When considering poverty in the developing world, many people feel deep sorrow but conclude that there is nothing we can do. The scale of poverty is immense and we seem powerless to stop it. When giving to an effective charity, the size of your donation directly correlates with the number of people you are able to help.
One doesn’t have to be a millionaire to make a significant difference; even small donations have the potential to drastically improve an individual’s quality of life. Small donations can make genuine impact on the lives of the downtrodden.
Many feel sad when they notice that their fellow humankind is in great lack of the necessities of life. Some also are touched when the future of others, especially the young ones, is bleak. That informs the inauguration of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by benevolent individuals and philanthropists to better the lives of others. This way, the poor will heave a sigh of relief and become hopeful of a better future.
The above may have motivated Bayo Arowolaju to look the way of the poor by establishing the Bayo Arowolaju Foundation (BAF) as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to take care of the poor, especially helping young ones realise their potential.
In the circumstances, the NGO organised quiz competition among secondary school students from four communities in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
It was a celebration of brilliance and intellectual prowess of students of secondary schools from the four communities.
The event, which took place at Omuo-Ekiti, the headquarters of the council, attracted personalities from within and outside the state who came to identify with the ideals of the Foundation among which was to help the young ones to realise their potential.
Established by an indigene of Omuo and a United States of America-based scholar, Dr. Bayo Arowolaju Jr, the Foundation was also set up to empower the indigent people and give succour to the needy.
In pursuit of one of its ideals, the Foundation, in collaboration with the Federation of Ekiti East Students’ Unions (FEESU) organised the grand finale quiz competition among students of secondary schools from four communities.
Before getting to the final stage of the competition, BAF had sponsored FESSU to organise the competition among students in the Senior Secondary Schools in all towns and communities in the local government areas out of which one student emerged best from each community to qualify for the final competition.
The grand finale of the quiz competition was at Okinbaloye Hall, palace of Olomuo of Omuo, Oba Noah Adejuwon Omonigbehin, the Paramount ruler of Omuo Kingdom.
This was after a welcome address by BAF’s Director for Youth Enhancement and Chief organiser of the competition, Mr Babatunde Daramola, a Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) Regular Marshall.
The event was presided over by the Quiz Master, Kehinde Olusuyi, an Engineer and a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, the Federal University of Oye Ekiti, who was assisted by a recorder, Mr Samuel Adigun, and a time keeper, Mr Raphael Oyewole.
The students represented Ekamefa High School, Ilasa Ekiti, Methodist High School, Isinbode Ekiti, Victory Academy, Kota Ekiti and God’s Brightest Kiddies’ Model College, Omuooke Ekiti respectively.
Adeniyi Adejuwon, Bello Sordiq and Ajibade Funmilola represented Isinbode Methodist High School, Victory Academy Secondary School and God’s Brightest Kiddies Model College respectively. They were taken through three rounds in English language, Mathematics and General Knowledge in that order.
At the end of the competition, students from Methodist High School, Isinbode Ekiti, were victorious while Victory Academy, Kota Ekiti came second and God’s Brightest Kiddies’ Model College, Omuooke Ekiti came third.
Awards and recognition were also given to Presidents of students’ unions that have links with the local government area.
They were Ogunleye Aderope of Kota Students Union (KOSU), Olatunde Temitope of Federation of Ekiti East Students’ Union (FEESU), Ariyo Femi of Federation of Omuooke Ajire Students (FOAST), Akinbobola Banji of Federation of Isinbode Students’ Union (FISU) and Olajide Samuel of Omuo Students’ Union (OSU).
Founder/Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Dr. Arowolaju intimated the audience with the aims and objectives of the foundation.
Dr. Arowolaju said the Foundation aims at identifying and resolving the urgent needs of academically sound indigenes of the local government area, render assistance to the downtrodden in the society and help them to lead decent lives.
He disabused the minds of people who said he established the foundation for political ambitions saying: “the foundation was put in place to enable him to give back to the society that made him and to lend a helping hand to the downtrodden.”
Winners in the quiz competition were rewarded with prizes. The overall winner of the quiz competition was a student of Methodist High School, Isinbode Ekiti and was presented with a new Lenovo laptop.
The first runner up was a student of Victory Academy, Kota Ekiti who also received a new Android mobile smartphone. The second runner up was presented with a cash prize to aid her academic career.
Apparently impressed by a rare demonstration of honesty displayed by the second runner up, Miss Ajibade Funmilola, who returned th sum of N1,000 that was in excess of her prize money,
BAF’s founder, Dr. Arowolaju Jr. rewarded her with a new mobile phone.
He further promised that the foundation would obtain JAMB, WAEC, NECO and GCE forms for the honest student at the right time and that she would receive further assistance from BAF during her higher education.
Awards of leadership commitment were presented to the Presidents of the Students’ Unions of communities that participated in the final stage of the quiz competition. Award of service commitment was given to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Federation of Ekiti East Students’ Unions.
In a similar manner, the schools that produced the winners of the grand finale quiz competition were presented with awards.
In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Kehinde Olusuyi expressed his profound gratitude to the founder of the Foundation for deeming it fit to organise such a laudable programme.
He called on other well-meaning individuals and philanthropic organisations to emulate such gesture.
Former member of Ekiti State House of Assembly and indigene of the community, Hon. Dele Ajibola, noted that the event was first of its kind in the local government area and prayed for God’s blessings for Arowolaju.
The event was attended by notable individuals in the society, including a former Chairman of Ekiti East Local Government Area, Chief Saka Bello, who was also the father of the first runner up.
Also in attendance were Mr. Ariyo Ogundana, Chairman/CEO of Remedy Gate Inc., Lagos, Mr. Bola Obembe, youths from across the local government area and a special delegation of an age group from Iworo Quarters, Omuo Ekiti, who came with drums, gongs, sekere and other musical instruments to cheer Arowolaju, who is one of their own.
Credit: http://thenationonlineng.net/foundation-rewards-academic-excellence/