Cynthia Oguamanan and her Award Winning ESSPIN

“I really like my school. It has a fish pond and poultry of its own where we go to look at the animals and see how they grow”. These were the words of Cynthia Oguamanan, a primary 6 pupil of Christ Assembly Primary School in Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGEA. Cynthia’s school has won multiple awards both from the Lagos State Government and from the President of Nigeria.

The partnership between ESSPIN and Lagos State Government is now having an impact at national levels. Christ Assembly not only won a State Award as the Best Public Primary School in Lagos but went on to win a National Award as the Best Public Primary School in the country.

Obi Helen Chinyere the school’s Assistant Head Teacher says “We have achieved this success because of what ESSPIN has helped us do in our school. We shall be the best even next year by the grace of God.”
Christ Assembly is one of the schools that has benefited from ESSPIN’s direct intervention especially through the Direct Funds to School initiative. The school chose to use its resources to create the school farm for the children to learn about plants, a fish pond and poultry to learn about animals.
“At our playground we play freely and are allowed to express ourselves the way we want. We have new swings and merry-go-rounds as well” says Cynthia as she talks enthusiastically about her school. The school is gradually recording a population increase due to the visible improvements within the school and improved teaching, learning and ambience. Many parents from the community now seek to enrol their children in the school.

“Why would I want to leave my school for any other?” she says, chuckling.

At one stage Cynthia’s school had a population of 1,144 made up of 576 males and 568 females now her school has 1,443 children made up of 721 males and 772 females, a 26 percent increase. Still parents in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun community besiege the school wanting their children to benefit from the reforms.