By Eniola Jolaoso
JAKIN Initiative International has supported 690 vulnerable children from 351 households across seven local government areas in Lagos State with school bags, stationery, mathematical sets and exercise books ahead of the 2026/2027 academic session.
The materials were distributed during the 16th edition of the organisation’s annual Dress a Child for School Project, held at Jobun Street, Onike, Yaba, Lagos, with the theme “Literacy for People, the Planet and Prosperity” to commemorate International Literacy Day.
The beneficiaries, drawn from government primary and secondary schools across Lagos, qualified after attending JAKIN Children’s Club monthly meetings at least six times during the year and submitting their academic results for the 2025/2026 session.
Speaking at the event, JAKIN Founder, Mrs. Olubukola Adebiyi, disclosed that the annual programme almost did not hold this year following a court case involving the landlord of the organisation’s premises.
She said the organisation was ordered to vacate the property by November 30, at a time when JAKIN was also working to raise N400 million for a new building.
Adebiyi said she had considered suspending the programme until a dream she had on August 16 prompted her to launch a three-week fundraising appeal.
According to her, the appeal generated almost N10 million, with support from 33 partners who provided 690 branded school bags, 690 sets of stationery, 487 mathematical sets for secondary school students and 113 dozens of exercise books.
«“We are here as witnesses to this phenomenal miracle within just three weeks. JAKIN NGO raised almost N10 million with the support of 33 extraordinary partners,” Adebiyi said.»
She said the gesture was aimed at celebrating the resilience of vulnerable children, encouraging them to remain in school and motivating them to perform better in the new academic session.
SUBEB Commends Initiative
Representing the Chairman of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hon. Akeem Babatunde Shittu, the Director of Social Mobilisation, Lagos SUBEB, Mrs. Fawebe Oluwaji Alice, commended JAKIN for its sustained commitment to keeping vulnerable children in school.
Fawebe said SUBEB was committed to strengthening partnerships with NGOs, development partners, communities, parents and other stakeholders to advance basic education in Lagos.
She disclosed that the Federal Government had recently supplied 15,675 school bags, exercise books and pairs of sandals, assuring that the materials would be distributed to the 690 targeted children upon resumption.
«“Every child matters and deserves an opportunity. No child should be denied these opportunities because of vulnerability or circumstances beyond their control,” she said.»
Fawebe further urged the beneficiaries to use the materials effectively and attend school regularly, while appealing to parents to support their children’s education.
In an exclusive interview with NewsConnect Online, she said Lagos was experiencing an influx of out-of-school children due to children arriving from other states.
She noted that support from organisations such as JAKIN would help reduce the burden on guardians and complement government efforts to address the out-of-school children challenge.
Gameville Foundation Applauds JAKIN
The Co-founder of Gameville Foundation, Njideka Okolo-Onyiuke, described the foundation’s partnership with JAKIN since 2017 as one of its greatest joys.
She praised Adebiyi for her passion and commitment to vulnerable children and encouraged her to sustain the work she started more than 16 years ago.
Okolo-Onyiuke also called on financially capable individuals to support vulnerable children and partner with organisations committed to improving their lives.
Adebiyi disclosed that JAKIN Initiative International will celebrate its 23rd anniversary in October, adding that the organisation has more than 2,000 active partners.
She explained that the Dress A Child for School Project has been running for 17 years, although the organisation counts the current edition as its 16th after skipping one year.
The founder said fundraising for this year’s project began on August 16, driven by a desire to put smiles on the faces of vulnerable people and meet their educational needs.
She appealed to government to create policies and provide structures that would enable NGOs and other initiatives to operate more effectively and sustain their impact on society.
