Bridge Pupils Get Fadahunsi Education Foundation Scholarship
Funmi Ogundare
A total of 50 pupils from Bridge Nigeria have benefitted from the Fadahunsi Education Foundation (FEF) scholarship programme, designed to support access to quality education for students from low-income backgrounds.
In his remarks at the award presentation ceremony, held recently at the Bridge Support Office in Lagos, the founder of FEF, Mr. Kayode Fadahunsi, who was represented by the Co-ordinator, Ms. Christiana Odjuvwederhie, said the organisation is committed to improving lives and supporting people from low-income backgrounds so that they are not looked over or treated unfairly in the area of education.
He said the scholarship covers the students’ tuition fees from primary to the university level. “The sponsorship is a way of rewarding hard work and success as it is tied to academic performance.”
The founder said the beneficiaries will continue to enjoy the scholarship as long as they keep performing well and maintain good grades in their studies.
“All that the parents need to do is to work with their children to excel at their studies so that they will continue to benefit from the scholarship programme.”
Last year, 20 separate Bridge pupils were awarded the same scholarships by FEF and the organisation decided to extend the sponsorship partnership to additional pupils through Lagos and Osun States, having seen the impact on the families. This now brings the FEF scholarships to a total of 70 pupils in Bridge.
One of the recipients’ parent, Mrs. Titilayo Oyamendan said the scholarship will lift a huge burden off her shoulders.
Oyamendan, who couldn’t hold back tears of joy, said she had earlier told her daughter that she would have to withdraw her from next session due to financial difficulties she was experiencing.
“This is a dream come true for my family. With this scholarship, FEF and Bridge have given my daughter hope and a chance to achieve her dream of becoming a dentist,” she said.
Another parent, Mrs. Umoru said she was happy when she was informed that her child had been awarded scholarship.
“With this opportunity, my child will be able to build on the education received at Bridge and go on to attain greater heights in secondary school and university.”
Explaining how the beneficiaries were selected, the Director of Policy and Partnership, Bridge Nigeria, Ayodeji Okewumi said: “At Bridge, we believe that a child’s potential should not be limited by family income, with our schools accessible for the vast majority of Lagosians. However, we know that some families will still struggle, which is why we work with partners to provide sponsorships for the outstanding pupils from struggling families trying to fulfil their academic dreams for their children. “Our strategic partnership with the Fadahunsi Education Foundation is one of the ways we support our pupils and their parents.
“Every child is unique and their lives will tell a compelling story that is still being written. We at Bridge are happy to be a part of such stories. We are willing to partner organisations, whose driving responsibility is to support quality education to those who need it the most.”