Friday, 29 August 2014

LASACO partners L.E.A.R.N on summer school


Ladipo-Ajayi
Chuks Udo Okonta

LASACO Assurance Plc in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, has made financial donation to Lagos  Empowerment and Resource Network (LEARN) to enable it organise and facilitate summer school programme for this year’s long vacation as a means of keep students off the street during the period.

Beyond students taking tutorials in their regular academic subjects, the summer school programme is designed to empower student with practical skills that would make them self reliance and inculcate entrepreneurial skill in different areas of endeavours. Practical skill areas include shoe making, bead making, event decoration, barbing, catering, soap making, photography among others.

The firm’s General Manager, Biodun Dosunmu, who stood in for the Group Managing Director, LASACO Assurance Plc, Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, explained that LASACO believes tomorrow is certain when future leaders are properly groomed and nurtured through investment in their education and empowerment with practical skills that would make them self- reliance.

“Our support for LEARN has been on in the last 3 to 4 years due to LASACO’s believe in being a socially responsible corporate organization as well as sustaining the legacy of its former chairman, late Chief Akin Leigh, who initiated the collaboration with LEARN.

“This great initiative aligns with one of LASACO’s strategic business principle of striving to better the society, particularly using corporate social responsibility platform and therefore deserves sustenance.

“LASACO cannot but give support to Lagos State Government’s drive to lay a solid foundation for the future leaders. Lagos State government has also been very supportive of LASACO as a corporate entity”, he added.

Dosunmu, who led a team of LASACO management staff to visit one of the summer school centres at Oke Ira Junior Grammar School, oke Ira, Lagos, expressed gratitude to the LEARN for taking the initiative to get the students engaged during the holiday rather than roaming the street, stating that the society would be better for it.

The Coordinator of Oke Ira Centre, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Soneye disclosed that the centre has about 600 students drawn from various schools in the area. According to her, many parents have testified to the effectiveness of the programme as they have noticed remarkable positive changes in the live of their children. In their appreciation during the visit, the representatives of the students at Oke Ira Junior Grammar School centre,  Miss Okega Tinuola and Master Salim Mohammed, commended LASACO for supporting the vision Lagos Empowerment and Resource Network (LEARN) in not only impacting knowledge but also preparing them to be self reliance through the skill acquisition component of the programme.

Apart from Oke Ira Junior Grammar School centre, LEARN has two other centres for this year’s summer school. They are located at Iponri Estate Junior School, Iponri Surulere and Awori Ajeromi Junior Grammar School Agboju. Lagos Empowerment & Resource Network (LEARN) was established in 2007 with special focus on youth development.

The vision is to ignite a passion for learning in the youths through education, vocational skills and recreation. Other programmes of LEARN are:   Summer & after school lessons; career enlightenment program;  a time out with the youths;  skill acquisition program;  open day for parents & excursion; what next;  excursion and volunteer induction.

LEARN is an initiative of Lagos State first lady and wife of the Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola.  

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