Bags and Various writing materials lined at hall within their premises situated at Onike, Yaba , Lagos state as 690 Children collected back to Schools items ahead of 2026/2027 School resumption which is used as a medium to retain them in school.These students from 351 households across seven local government areas who have qualified the selection processes which includes, six times attendance in their monthly Kid’s club meetings and submittion of their last session academic results
This distribution marked the 16th edition of the annual Dress a Child for School project, themed “Literacy for People, The Planet and Prosperity” to commemorate International Literacy Day. The event was aimed at celebrating the children’s hard work and also help them do better when classes resume next week.
Speaking at the event, the Founder, JAKIN INITIATIVE INTERNATIONAL, Mrs. Olubukola Adebiyi revealed that this year’s edition almost did not happen as the landlord of the current premises the NGO resides took them to court and they have till November 30 to vacate the property, leaving the initiative in great disturbance as they had to initiate an urgent 400 million Naira new building fundraising project.
She disclosed that while she already made the decision to suspend this year’s activity, the dream she had On August 16, changed everything and this brought about immediately embarking on a three-week appeal to supporting sponsors that raised almost 10 million Naira in three weeks.
“We are here as witnesses to this phenomenal miracle within just 3 weeks , JAKIN N. G. O raised almost 10 million naira with the support from 33 extraordinary partners who provided 690 branded school bags, 690 sets of statetionaries, 487 maths sets (secondary school only) , 113 dozens of exercise books to be distributed from today 10th September till tomorrow 11th to 690 memebers of JAKIN N. G. O Children’s Club members who attended their monthly meetings at least 6 times this year and also provided their 2025/2016 academic session results from Government Primary or Secondary Schools across Lagos State ” She added.
Expressing deep gratitude to the 33 partners who gave generously despite the short notice, she noted that this kind gesture was meant to celebrate the children’s resilience despite their rough background, motivate them to continue their education, and do better in the new academic session.
In Conclusion , Mrs Olubukola Adebiyi encouraged the students to take their academics much more seriously as education is the bedrock to success, noting that their academic success proves that they appreciate the work of JAKIN INITIATIVE INTERNATIONAL.
In a Keynote Speech , The Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Honourable Akeem Babatunde Shittu , represented by the Director, Social Mobilisations Lagos SUBEB , Mrs Fawebe Oluwaji Alice , expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards the Leadership of the Initiative and their unwavering Commitments , support and efforts in the improvement of educational experiences and welfare to Children particularly the ones who need support to remain in school inorder to fulfill their potentials..This 16th edition reflects consistent commitment in ensuring that Vulnerable children aren’t left behind .
She also stated that the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) is committed to strengthening Partnership with N.G.Os , Development Partners , Communities, parent and other stakeholders in the advancement of basic education in Lagos State .
She further disclosed that the Federal Government recently supplied 15,675 school bags, exercise books, and pairs of sandals, assuring that these materials will be distributed to 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 .There is Zero Tolerance for Out of school Children Here in Lagos State and this activity is also Consistent with the broader Vision that we leave no child Behind which is the Motto of SUBEB” Mrs Fawebe said .
She stressed that the initiative goes beyond the distribution of school bags and writing materials; it is a message of love, belief, and the shared desire of Jakin N.G.O and SUBEB for the beneficiaries to succeed, urging the children to believe strongly in themselves.
She Concluded that SUBEB
looks forward to a stronger collaboration with Jakin Initiative International as they collectively work toward ensuring every child in Lagos State has access to quality, inclusive, and available basic education, while beseeching the founder to expand her reach to include special needs children.
In an exclusive interview with News Connect Online Media, Mrs. Fawebe explained that Lagos State is experiencing an influx of out-of-school children as a result of children arriving from other states. She noted that the provision of back-to-school materials and immense support from initiatives like this will relieve both guardians and the state government, which will ultimately promote a greater and healthier Lagos.
She also emphasized the importance for beneficiaries to make effective use of the distributed materials and attend school regularly, while appealing to parents to release their children to do so as a vital step in shaping and building their future.
The Trustee of The Gamesville Foundation, an active supporting partner of JAKIN, Njideka Okolo-Onyiuke, described the foundation’s partnership with the initiative since 2017 as one of its greatest joys, praising JAKIN’s founder, Mrs Olubukola Adebiyi, for her passion and commitment to vulnerable children.
Okolo-Onyiuke encouraged Adebiyi to sustain the work she began over 22 years ago, saying her efforts were helping secure a better future for children in need. She also urged financially capable individuals to support vulnerable children and partner with initiatives such as this committed to improving their lives.
Mrs Olubukola Adebiyi, founder of JAKIN N.G.O., has revealed that the organisation, which will mark its 23rd anniversary in October, has been running the Dress A School Project for 17 years, although it counts 16 years after pulling out one year.
She disclosed this while speaking with journalists in an exclusive interview with NewsConnect Online, adding that the organisation had secured 33 sponsors for this year’s edition, while JAKIN has over 2,000 active partners. She said fundraising for the current edition began on August 16, adding that the initiative was driven by a calling to put smiles on the faces of vulnerable people and meet their needs.
In Conclusion She appealed to the government to create policies that would make it easier for initiatives to operate effectively and provide the structures and financial support needed to sustain their impact on society.
