In continuation of its back to school campaign, RuthChild Foundation in collaboration with Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, on Tuesday cautioned pupils of some selected primary schools in Uhunmwode Local Government Area to be wary of human traffickers may want to traffic them abroad. While addressing the pupils at Eyaen Primary School, the foundation’s Focal Person, Comrade Solomon Okoduwa donated over a thousand notebooks to the pupils on behalf of the foundation. He said the exercise is aimed at exposing the activities of human traffickers and how they lure young ones. Okoduwa said they will not rest on their oars until the perpetrators of the evil in the state are arrested and prosecuted accordingly. “We are taking the campaign across the eighteen local government areas of the state. We’ll ensure the notebooks get to indigent pupils and students. The Executive Director, RuthChild Foundation, Mr. Stephen Adigun explained that the exercise was to boost the morale of the pupils and ensure they are not deceived by marauding traffickers. He said “We are here in your school today to educate you about irregular migration and the risk of travelling out of Nigeria through Niger republic and Libya. We don’t want you to use your money to sell yourself to slavery. A lot of people have been deceived that there is work in Europe or Italy to be specific”, he stated.

“The truth is that they are using them for prostitution and other illegal use. Human trafficking is on the rise globally and a lot of Nigerians have been trafficked and many have died on their way to Europe.” “We are glad to give you this notebooks which should serve as a continuous reminder for you on irregular migration.

We are grateful to Niger Delta Power Holding Company for providing us with funding, and I thank the MD of NDPHC Mr. Chiedu Ugbo for his support to Ruthschild Foundation.” Receiving the notebooks on behalf of the pupils, the Assistant Headmistress of Eyaen Primary School, Mrs Uwubanmwen Temietan thanked the donors for the kind gesture and promised to distribute them accordingly. Precious Ofure, a primary five pupil of the school who spoke on behalf of others said the notebooks will help many of her schoolmates especially those who are yet to purchase writing materials. She appealed to other well-meaning Nigerians to support indigent pupils and students to get writing materials, sanders and other basic things to make them comfortable in school.

Ruthschild Foundation marked the World’s Children day by visiting Jabi Junior Secondary School on 20 November 2017. The programme was on girls’ reproductive health and drug abuse. The celebration is preceded by motivational songs to encourage the student and prepare their minds to the basic benefits of knowing their reproductive health and drug abuse.

The programme brought together a member of the Federal Capital Territory - Universal Basic Education Board (FCT-UBEB) Mr. Oniwon Franklin, Dr. Eluu Emmanuel from the Federal Ministry of Health, Teachers, Ruthschild Foundation representatives and over 200 students of JS 1 to JS3 class who are between the ages of 11 to 18 years old.

During the event, posters and pictures on reproductive health and drug abuse was placed on the school board, so that they could visualize the importance of many behaviours that could impact their lives either positively or negatively. There was also a talk on the reproductive health information and care, where they can find accurate information and access to services needed to protect their health from sexually transmitted diseases and substance abuse. Questions and answers were entertained.

Adolescents' sexual and reproductive health must be supported. This means providing access to comprehensive sexuality education; services to prevent, diagnose and treat STIs. It also means empowering your people to know and exercise their rights, especially the right to refuse unwanted sexual advances, and saying no to drug abuse.

Thus, we climaxed the programme with some refreshments and distributed free sanitary pads to all the girls that were in attendance

Edo State Government and Ruthschild Foundation commenced showing a-30-minute documentary on anti human trafficking activities in public secondary schools in Benin City.

Over two hundred students of Oba Ewuare Grammar School, Oko Central in Benin City watched the maiden edition of the school to school anti human trafficking documentary.

Comrade Solomon Okoduwa, the Senior Special Assistant on Anti Human Trafficking Issues said the showing of the documentary was to further expose the activities of human traffickers to teenagers in colleges so that traffickers will not take undue advantage of their ignorance.

He said the documentary would be extended to other schools across the 18 local government areas of the state.
According to him, “The students have not only watched it, we have also given them CDs containing the documentary to take home. We want to ensure the students are fully abreast with the necessary information they need to know about the dangers of human trafficking and irregular migration. The documentary exposes the illegal activities of traffickers and efforts of government at arresting the scourge.

Ruthschild Foundation also lectured the tudent on Illegal Migration and concluded with Mr. Solomon Okodowa that “They ’ll not rest on our efforts until the campaign against the menace is spread across the nooks and crannies of the state. We’re appealing to parents and other stakeholders to join government in this campaign against human trafficking and irregular migration, he added”

The Vice Principal of Oba Ewuare Grammar School Mrs. Eken Makalu commended the Governor for his courage to fight human traffickers in Edo State and thanked the advocacy team and promised to further educate the students on the dangers of human trafficking.

Some students of the school including Famous Oshiogue who watched the documentary said it has given them a clearer view of the activities of human traffickers and the sufferings victims undergo during the dangerous journeys abroad.

A JSS 3 student of the school, Angelina Attah said she is well equipped with the needed information to resist any trafficker that comes her way. She also volunteered to join the campaign while in school so that her friends will not be victims.

Meanwhile, more students have volunteered and registered for the Anti human trafficking club which is billed to be inaugurated by Edo State Government in collaboration with NGOs by first quarter of 2019 across public secondary schools in the 18 local government areas of Edo State.

A Benin based artiste, Chidi One Love, was on ground to thrill the students with his single “Say noooo to illegal migration”.