Kunle Adelabu
Members of the Class of 1997 of the premier college in Ikorodu Division, Oriwu College (now Oriwu Senior & Junior Model Colleges), on Sunday, October 24, 2021, continued their tradition of giving back to their alma mata by distributing 200 school uniforms to students.
100 students each from the junior and senior secondary schools in the premier college received new uniforms at an event which took place at the college hall with hundreds of parents whose children are still in the school, in attendance.
The presentation ceremony held at the school hall.
The old students, under the aegis of Oriwu College Old Students’ Association of Nigeria (OCOSAN) led by Mr Olatunji Shakioye as Chairman, have embarked on several projects in the school such as water projects among others in the past years.
Speaking at the presentation, Shakioye said that the main objective of the Class set is to give back to the school which he said they have been doing.
“It’s always our dream to give back to our old school. That’s why we are here today to distribute school uniforms to students in our former school.
“We want students in our former school to be nicely and neatly dressed at all times and that is why we are distributing 200 uniforms to the students in Junior and Senior Secondary Schools. We shall be giving out 100 school uniforms each to the junior and senior schools”, he added.
“This is our own little way of adding value to our former school”.
He also charged the students to be studious and be prepared to give back in future.
“This is part of our efforts to also make you face your studies and learn that whenever you are in position in future, you should also give back to this school and the society”, he said.
“Be good students by facing your studies and shun all forms of social vices like drugs, alcohol and others”, Shakioye charged.
The chairman of the set also thanked Alhaji M.M. Bolarinwa, Revd. Bamidele Osunyomi and other patrons of the set whom he said have been of immense assistance financially and morally towards their projects.
The Principal, Oriwu Senior Model College, Ikorodu, Mr Akeem Bello, commended the 1997 set for embarking on the project to impact on their former school.
He said that activities of former students of the premier college have contributed greatly to making the school the best.
“I appreciate the 1997 set of this school for embarking on this project.
“These are some of those that have been impacting on this school and have been making it thick and best in Lagos.
“You cannot find some of the things that you can see here in many other schools. Just last week, the 1996/1997 set did their own project too.
“During the 70th anniversary of the school, a hostel was also donated by former students of the school. There have also been many other projects embarked by former students”, he recalled.
He charged parents present at the presentation to teach their children the need to also give back when they too are in position to do, so, while also telling beneficiaries that they must ensure that they show the donated uniforms to their parents before they use it.
“I want to charge our parents to assist in also teaching their children to learn from this set and imbibe the culture of giving back when they too are in position to do that”, Mr Bello said.
“This is a way of complementing what the government is doing and it is the practice globally because, government alone cannot do everything and that is why our assistance is important.
“This is a philanthropic gesture by the former students to give back to their former school and the society at large and we are appreciative of it. Gestures like this make the society a better place.
“You must show uniforms given to you to your parents first so that they can also see what this set has given to you and know what former students of this school are doing”, he charged students.
Many of the beneficiaries and parents at the presentation commended the gestures of the former students of the school.
