This article was originally published in The Guardian on Thursday, March 19, 2015. To see the original publication, click here.
Nigerian envoy to Tanzania commends Offor Foundation’s education initiative
The Education Initiative by the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, aimed at promoting learning across the continent of Africa was last Friday extended to schools in Bagamoyo region in Tanzania.
Over 1, 500 students representing six secondary schools gathered to receive over 22, 000 academic books shipped to the region in partnership with Books For Africa, a United States-based non-governmental organisation.
About 19 other African countries including Nigeria, the foundation said, are benefitting from similar gesture by the foundation.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to Tanzania, Ambassador Ishaya Samaila Majanbu, who was present at the presentation exercise, applauded Offor and the foundation for the exemplary act of altruism and support for academic enlightenment amongst Africans.
He noted that such philanthropic gestures by the foundation ought to be emulated by other privileged Africans.
Since 2010, the foundation has distributed over $18 million worth of books and computers to school libraries on the continent, according to its founder, Sir Offor.
“Education opens the door for Africa’s development and we are proud to support this cause. Without education, people cannot create their own solution. My foundation believes in that and that is why we are working hard to ensure that every child within our reach in Africa has the opportunity to read and write, “Offor stated.
He said the foundation has a similar ongoing partnership with other international NGOs like The Carter Center for the elimination of River Blindness in South East Nigeria as well as long standing joint effort with Rotary International to end polio in Nigeria and the rest of the world.
Tom Worth, founder of Books For Africa, who was represented by a Bagamoyo district schoolteacher stated that Offor has “enabled us to send over two million books to the students of Africa.”
He said, “This generous Nigerian’s charitable activities are an example to us all. It is with his help and the help of others like him that we are working towards our goal of ending the African Book Famine.
Clearly, Sir Emeka Offor-by thinking big and funding large-scale book projects-is leading the way.”
