Sustainable Education for the Poor

WHAT IF?

I have always wondered what would have happened to me or where I would have ended up if my education was aborted because I was an orphan? What would have happened to my career if there were no angels planted here and there to support my education? Would I have in life reached where by divine intervention I have reached as a university professor? Would I have ended in the streets, a problem to society and to myself? What if?

I was raised an orphan by my uncle Onwu Awurwu after both of my parents passed away by the age of 14 years. My vice principal and his wife at Wesley High School Otukpo, Benue State undertook to fund my education without my asking them. My dad on his death bed charged my uncle "I am leaving Ihyeh with you" to ensure that "Ihyeh" completes his "education to the level he can go". My uncle's burden became my goal in life, to try all I could to reach the level of education I can humanly reach with what is endowed in me. That has also become my goal to do my best to give to anyone and someone unable to support her or his education but has potential and willing to study to improve herself or himself in life. Education leads to longevity, reduces early death, reduces crime, better living, creates better societies and brings people together.

For me angels were sent to help me, Janice and Gordon Brett (British) planted a seed in me. That seed has matured and I would like to replant it in Africa to support the education of disadvantaged children at University and pre-university levels by replanting my retirement benefits to build a university. With an application now submitted to the National Universities Commission (NUC) to start UNAST, land secured and site plan done, I have started building the campus following the site plan used as image in this fundraiser.

Building a university is a difficult and daunting task requiring significant resources, dedication and hard work. Trying to build a university in a rural Nigerian village is even harder. But this effort comes on the heels of scholarships I awarded at the secondary school and university levels without properly scratching the surface of this problem. A large number of potential university graduates sit at home without help and support. Helping to fish to look after themselves by giving them fishing lines and training them on how to fish is what this effort is about. Its not about me any more, but about the rest of humanity unable to support themselves to develop themselves to live better. Just like Janice and Gordon Brett did, my limited retirement benefits are currently being used to set up the initial university buildings, classrooms etc, but it definitely will not go far. I am therefore approaching you my angels to come to our aid to fund this university at Anyuwogbu, Oju Local government of Benue State Nigeria where I was born. Oju local government is located in rural Benue state, in the African Savannah, an agricultural region of the state. The average income per day for the about one million inhabitants is less than two dollars per day. This makes funding education at any level difficult or almost impossible. Less than 40% of the children in the area are in school but there is appetite to attend School. The average life span of the region is below 50 years. The two local governments depend on subsistence farming, no pipe borne water, no electricity, one ill-equipped public hospital, no tarred roads whatsoever and with poor living standards. The people however have an unbroken spirit and trying to alter the conditions they find themselves in. They are by nature generous and my village has donated the 72 hectare land on which the university is being built.

I have successfully acquired enough land for the university and working with a planning team of 9 including my children. We have an architect, an economist, a building engineer, a medical doctor, a teacher (my classmate Mr Alexander Adakole Anteyi) from the UK who has contributed some funds as well.

Our initial financial estimate for the Phase I of the university is approximately (N1.2bn which is about AU$4m.

We are requesting your unequal support. Be one of our angels and support our effort by contributing just what your heart tells you to give. The money donated will be used to construct classrooms, laboratory buildings and equipment, a library, staff offices, administrative building, sick bay, hostels for students to live in, water, electricity, internal roads within the campus, security and much more. Perhaps you might want to sponsor one of these items with a citation to your credit or provide teaching equipment, laboratory resources, desks, sitting chairs, computers even healthy used computers will be a great support. Be our angel please.

Professor Johnson I Agbinya