About Initiatives & Campaigns
The basic tenet of our operations is local community based and community driven development. At the core of this development is the provision of decent basic education for the children and young men and women in the community.
Our projects are both capital and programmatic.
CAPITAL PROJECTS:
LIBRARY: Renovation of school building to be used as library. Equip and furnish the library. Employ a librarian.
Purchase textbooks for the Students and Teachers.
Purchase and maintain a riding machine which the teachers can ride to the Local Government School Headquarters to attend the required monthly and quarterly meetings with the Local Government officials.
Repair the dilapidated roads leading to the villages.These very bad roads make recruitment of teachers from outside the villages virtually impossible. In addition, the farmers and merchants in the villages face significant difficulty transporting their crops and products to the markets in the surrounding towns. Thus, the parents of the school children, most of whom are farmers can not even sell their farm products, and this situation perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
PROGRAMMATIC PROJECTS
1. Continue to pay the salaries of the teachers needed to meet the complement of teachers required in the schools.
2. Purchase basic equipments and teaching materials.
3. PACAW LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. This is a biennial intensive one week leadership course for the teachers during the long vacation. The course will focus, inter alia, on leadership, and on the content of the civics lessons for the students. PACAW, Inc. is fully aware of the fact that the NEW Education Culture it intends to introduce to the pupils will only be effective if the teachers are well grounded in its basics. Thus, it is important to engage the teachers in the content of this philosophy of education which they will then pass on to the students.
IN THE NEWS
DECEMBER 12, 2024
As 2024 comes to a close, we (PACAW, Inc.) wish to express our profound gratitude to our supporters, especially a particular Noble soul in the USA who has been a recurrent monthly donor to PACAW, Inc. for more than two years. The Lord knows him and I, -- President of PACAW, Inc.-- have been honored to know him and meet him. May the Most High continue to lift him and all of you up.
It has been a fruitful and exciting year for PACAW on the ground, thanks to our teachers and staff at our main center of operation in Kwara State, Nigeria, and the students who are responding to the message of the Mission of PACAW, Inc.
We are also particularly thankful to the Lord for enabling the initiation of the Annual Senior High School Essay Competition in Nigeria starting in this 2024/2025 Academic School Year as noted in our earlier updates. The competition is conducted in collaboration with our partner in Nigeria, Lagos based Olise Omolu Foundation. We hope to have the essays graded and the prize winners announced by March/April 2025.
We look forward to the new year with hope for positive turn-around in all sectors in African nations, especially in Sub Saharan Africa where the challenges remain daunting and as PACAW adds its voice in words and action to the resuscitation of Man's Homeland.
Thank you all. Wishing you MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY JOYOUS, FRUITFUL AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR.
OCTOBER 5, 2024.
Beginning in the 2024/2025 School Year, PACAW, Inc. in collaboration with Lagos based NGO, Olise Omolu Foundation is launching an annual essay competition for SS 3 (senior high school) students in Nigeria. This is an attempt to assist with the sorely needed Mindset Transformation of African Youths who have the daunting task of rescuing the vast majority of the continent's nations that are impoverished and massively underperforming.
Below is a brief introduction of the endeavor. Please see PROGRAMS & SERVICES section for details.
INAUGURAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL “ESSAY” COMPETITION IN NIGERIA, 2024/2025 SCHOOL YEAR.
SPONSORS: Pan Africa Children Advocacy Watch (PACAW, Inc.) based in Maryland, USA and Olise - Omolu Foundation (OOF) based in Lagos.
PURPOSE: To contribute our “widow's mite” to the development of a new generation of selfless and committed future leaders who will lift Nigeria from it’s self inflicted abysmal state of affairs and redirect its course so that it can attain its true potential. For Nigeria to achieve her God-given potential, the next generation of leaders must have a completely different mindset. A mindset of NATION FIRST. It is in that vein that we are starting the yearly Senior High School “Essay” Competition.
STUDY MATERIAL FOR THE “ESSAY” COMPETITION
This study material is a short biography of a person who has demonstrated in his life, genuine love for Africa and even laid down his life for Africans. For this inaugural competition, we have gladly chosen the life of the Scottish Physician, Missionary, Explorer and slave abolitionist, Dr David Livingstone. The biography will be about four pages. We believe his type of selfless spirit and leadership mindset of service and sacrifice for Africans is the best example for future leaders of Nigeria and other African nations to study and emulate.
WHAT THE STUDENTS SHOULD DO
The students are required to answer three questions based on the biography.
We expect each student to read the biography intensely several times. Then, the student should answer the questions honestly by himself or herself “from the “heart”.
Please submit your answers (essays) to your Principal latest by January 16, 2025.
A team of judges put together by PACAW, Inc. and OOF will grade the essays.
There will be 1st prize, 2nd prize, 3rd prize, and four consolation prizes in each state (NOT IN EACH SCHOOL, BUT IN EACH STATE). We estimate a maximum of 150 students in each state for this inaugural edition.
Although we are awarding prizes, that is not our main goal. In fact, the prizes are the least important elements of this endeavour. The most important reason for this “Essay” Competition is to mentor our young men and women, and engender in them love of nation more than self, and a totally different type of MINDSET urgently needed to rescue Nigeria.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This Biography is adapted mainly from four sources.
1. SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE. Article: Stanley Meets Livingstone
By Martin Dugard; October 2003
Web Citation: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/stanley-meets- livingstone-91118102/
2. Livingstone’s Life & Expeditions
Justin D. Livingstone (author), Adrian S. Wisnicki and Megan Ward (editors), First edition: 2014, Second edition: 2015
Web Citation: http://livingstoneonline.org/uuid/node/76ab1aa0-2bf4-4c42- adf7-c8c4ee960236
3. The Zambezi River — To The Victoria Falls
Web Citation: https://www.tothevictoriafalls.com/vfpages/zambezi.html
4. Boston University: Livingstone David (1813-1873); History of Missiology Web Citation: https://www.bu.edu/missiology/missionary-biography/l-m/livingstone-david-1813-1873/
QUESTIONS FOR THE STUDENTS TO ANSWER
- What lessons have you learnt from the life history of Dr. David Livingstone that you can apply in your own personal life to Live a Life With Meaning?
- What lessons have you learnt from this short biography of Dr. Livingstone that you can emulate in your relationships with fellow Nigerians regardless of tribal origin or religious beliefs which you can collectively and selflessly use to build and improve your community, state and country?
3. What specific qualities in Dr. Livingstone do you believe you and members of your generation can, and should emulate when, in the future you become leaders in your local communities or at the state level or federal level? Qualities which you think can help to turn Nigeria around so that she can utilize the huge natural and human resources with which she has been blessed to attain her great potential and make life better for the citizens.
*** PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU PUT YOUR FULL NAME, THE NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL AND THE DATE ON EVERY PAGE OF YOUR ANSWERS.
APRIL 2024.
UPDATE ON THE 2024/2025 ACADEMIC YEAR INAUGURAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY COMPETITION IN NIGERIA.
THE BOARD OF PACAW Inc. has been meeting approximately biweekly with Mr. Sunday Omolu, president of Olise-Omolu foundation, headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria to plan the inaugural Senior High School essay competition in Nigeria. Our goal is to begin this essay competition in six states in Nigeria. So far, we have identified and contacted heads of senior high schools in three states,. viz. Lagos, Delta and Kwara states. The fourth state we have identified is Kogi state and we will contact the education officials in the state very soon ti inform them about the project.
We will keep you posted as the structure of the project takes shape.
Your support for the essay competition and our other projects would be greatly appreciated.
JANUARY 2024.
INAUGURATION OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY COMPETITION IN SEVERAL STATES IN NIGERIA.
Beginning in the 2024 school year which starts in September, PACAW will launch an annual multi State high school essay competition in Nigeria for Senior high school students. This endeavour will be in collaboration with our partner: OLISE OMOLU FOUNDATION; https://www.oliseomolu.com
The main purpose is to get Nigerian youths to think differently about who they are, their innate capabilities, the meaning and purpose of life, their responsibilities not only to their families, friends, village or town of origin and state, but ultimately, their responsibility to their nation and Africa at large. Furthermore to get them to develop a “Can Do” mindset instead of waiting for Foreign Aid from Europe, USA, Canada and Asia. Also, to embrace the spirit of selflessness, INCORRUPTIBILITY and nation building.
We believe very strongly that this step is pivotal in the future turning around of Nigeria's hitherto and current unsustainable self destructive proclivities powered by mammoth corruption and self centeredness of the leadership and profound failure of mindset.
We are seeking donations and sponsorships from individuals and corporations for this project. Your support is much needed and would be greatly appreciated.
We are also seeking funding for two additional projects.
1. To build science laboratories in two public high schools run by State and local governments. Many public high schools in Nigeria have sadly been totally neglected by the leaders. THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE THAT IS VERY CLOSE AND DEAR TO MY (S. A. AYENI's) HEART. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO MUCH MORE ON THIS IN MY WRITINGS AND SPEECHES.
2. Leveling --Grading -- (better still, tarring) the road that connects a remote village where PACAW operates in Kwara state to the neighboring town. The road is simply awful, impassable even by Nigeria's very unfortunate ignoble low standards of transportation infrastructure. The sub-human condition of this road has significantly hampered the ability of the village to retain teachers for its primary and secondary schools for decades.
YOUR GENEROSITY WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
Posted October 9, 2014.
Two vital components of PACAW Inc,'s approach to the education of these future leaders of Africa were addressed in Summer 2014. The first was the completion and equipping of the libraries for the primary and secondary schools in Koro-Ekiti, Kwara State, Nigeria and the completion and equipping of the Computer Center in the primary school in the same village. The dedication ceremony of these facilities was performed on September 13, 2014 on the grounds of the primary school.
The second major project was the "FIRST ANNUAL PACAW Inc. LEADERSHIP ACADEMY" for the teachers, young graduates from tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria and community leaders which took place from September 1-5, 2014 in Kwara State, Nigeria. One day was devoted to each of the following topics: COURAGE; EDUCATION; JUSTICE; WISDOM and PUBLIC SERVICE, following the wordings on our LOGO. The teachers were seriously admonished to pass the information and knowledge they acquired during the academy to the students as often as possible; daily, if possible.
Please see the NEWS AND PUBLICATIONS SECTION for the addresses delivered during the dedication ceremony of the libraries and computer center, and the schedule for the first three days of the PACAW ACADEMY.
The new library and computer center for the primary school at Koro-Ekiti, Kwara State, Nigeria which was dedicated on September 13, 2014.
The new library and computer center for the primary school at Koro-Ekiti, Kwara State,
Nigeria. Donated by Pan Africa Children Advocacy Watch (PACAW) Inc. It was dedicated on September 13, 2014.
The new library for the secondary school at Koro-Ekiti, Kwara State, Nigeria. Donated by Pan Africa Children Advocacy Watch Inc. It was dedicated on September 13, 2014.
Participants at the PACAW Inc. Leadership Academy, September, 2014 and Dr. Ayeni, (middle row, fifth from left).
