NGO  offers scholarships, pays WAEC tuition fees to students in Benue 

From Attah Ede, Makurdi 

A non-governmental organisation, Dream Community Foundation on Tuesday donated books, paid West African Examinations Council (WAEC), tuition fees of  over 15 pupils and offered  scholarships to some students in Benue State.

The foundation also donated school sanders, cash for uniforms and offered scholarships to some students in both public and private schools in the State.

The founder of the NGO, Rahmatu Yakubu Ene, said the aim of the donation and payment of WAEC and school fees was to ensure the less privileged secure a future in education.

The organisation visited two public and one private schools respectively in Makurdi town, where the educational materials were distributed to the beneficiaries.

Speaking  after presenting the WAEC fees and the exercise  books at the  Community Secondary School Wadata Makurdi, Ene- Yakubu stated that there was hardship in the country, hence the visit to the school.

She explained that her organisation decided to visit this school considering the hardship and economic crisis going on in the country where people are struggling to feed and some children are being sent out from schools  due to lack of payment of school fees. 

She further revealed that she graduated from the community secondary school in 1998 and have decided to come back and  pay WAEC and school fees with other levies with some writing materials of  her junior students who cannot afford to pay.

“For now, we are paying for WAEC fee of five students and school fees for 10 others in primary and secondary schools.

As I always say, I believe so much in securing the future of the kids educationally and paying the fees of these children is a way of giving the students the opportunity to become something in life.

“I started this foundation for compassion sake because when I was growing up I seen how people are stranded on the street and I decided to set up this organisation to see what I can do from my little end. 

“I started this foundation three years ago but was officially launched this year, 2025 and since then, we have touched people. 

“We have  trained people in catering and fashion schools. We have 25 people on scholarship under the foundation Today we visited three schools, two public schools and one private school where we donated books, school sanders and paid WAEC fees for some SSS 3 students and PTA for over 15 pupils.

“For now, I have been doing it alone and it is my firm believe that one day I will get support from individuals, organisations who have passion for what we are doing so that we can reach out to many more people because it is not easy doing this alone.

“If we can people that can support and who can partners with us, it will help us to get across to more people out there . 

“People are really suffering and one person can not do it and together we can do it to meet the needs of those at the streets”, she stated.

Ene-Yakubu  urged the students to continue to read and work hard to ensure they come out successful in life.

In his remark, the Vice principal administration, Community Secondary School Makurdi, Mr. Ueter Ferdinand, thanked the Dream Community Foundation for coming to support the school and for registering some students for external exams.

He added that school management is happy most especially that the gesture is coming from an old student, stressing that it is their candid pray that this gesture is continuously taking to larger society.

He appealed to the founder of  the NGO to look for the less privileged students and put them on scholarship at  her former school, hence there is huge challenge of school fee payment, adding that “most of our students are not capable of paying for their school fees” 

On her part, Head teacher of CAC, Mrs. Kate Egwu,expressed gratitude to the founder of the DCF and  the Hausa community for what they are doing for the  school. 

“This gesture had made us proud and it is not the first time. We have be receiving interventions since I came here. They came and fenced our school, donated so many textbooks and today are also donating exercise books, school sanders and paid their PTA fees”. 

One of the beneficiaries Atim Nngodoo Angela whose WAEC fee was paid, thanked the founder of Dream Community Foundation for the kind gesture,

He said they came to her rescue at a time she needed help the most and promised that the money paid for her exams would surely yield positive results at the end of her exams.

“I feel good receiving this gesture from the DCF. I really appreciate the founder and promise that I will not fail or disappoint her”, she said.