New Telegraph 
In its bid to ease tension amongst parents, putting smiles on their faces and that of their children, the Rose of Sharon Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) held its back-to-school community project with over 1000 children benefitting.
The teenagers and children who came to the Adekunle Fajuyi Way location of the church with enthusiasm from different locations were gifted school bags, books, stationery, socks, food flasks and water bottles following their classes. Before the distribution of the school kits, they also ministered spiritually as deliverances were conducted in preparation for a sound take-off and completion in the new academic session.
Of the over 1000 beneficiaries, less than one per cent were members of the parish as the remaining were non-members, as there was an announcement to strictly prevent children whose parents can afford to provide them school kits from participating, said Pastor Mrs Chichi Obiagwu, who heads the Women’s Ministry of the Parish and is the Wife of the Parish Pastor.
She noted that measures were put in place to avoid stampede including non-earlier announcements of the exercise and holding it on a Saturday, unlike some editions which are held on Sundays. The project she explained was part of influencing society positively, winning souls to God and giving hope, especially to the children who are the nation’s future.
Also, she said the church will continue to do its best with the help of God in the continuity of the project despite the financial involvement.
Speaking with Sunday Telegraph, she stated: “We know that there are fundamental items that every child should have, at least to enhance learning in school. It is only proper and ideal that a child should go back to school with a school bag because we do not expect the child to carry his or her books with her bare hands to school. Supposing it rains and so many things, the discomfort.
“Then every child should need a pencil, pen, ruler, eraser, a water bottle and all that. So what we have done is to empower our community. This is our Jerusalem. This is our area of influence and ideally, most people in our church will be able to afford equipping their children back to school.”
She further stated: “But we felt that it is only proper that we be an example in our community by making sure that the blessings of God upon our lives do not just rest on us, but it is extended even beyond the people in our church. So over the years, we have been doing it on Sundays, but we felt that it is done on a Saturday this time, more people will be able to come and more children will be able to be helped and empowered. More children will be reached out to and that was the reason why we decided to have it today and we are not disappointed.
“So far as God is with us, we will continue to do it. To put smiles on our children who are our future and make sure that they get to school, not being burdened with the fact that their parents can’t afford what they need, but they go back to school equipped with the basic things that they need.”
In addition, she said, “We had a crowd. We were even praying that there would be no stampede and that people would be able to get what we wanted, what we set out to give them without struggles. And we thank the Lord who helped us thus far. But from the reactions that we got, the people that got it were people that needed it and we are happy we were able to reach as many as possible.
“You see, with things like this, we probably just reached about 90 per cent but we wish to continue until we make sure that at least people get what they want. So we are not quitting. We are not giving up on it. It’s a big project. But God has been helping us, that even helped us today, and we are confident that he will continue to help us. The most important thing to us is souls, the winning of souls. We know that as they are coming, even as children the word of God will touch them.”
Deaconess Abisola Kalejaiye, a member of the planning committee headed by Mrs. Eyono Fatayi-Williams, shared that the project which has expanded over the years was birthed in line with the Christian Social Responsibility (CSR) of RCCG. “Since I joined the church, this is like the fifth time. But it became larger and larger every year. People are very happy,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, an SS3 student of Most High School, Abule-Egba, Olumide Prince thanked the church for the initiative, stating: “I appreciate RCCG Rose of Sharon for this gift that will help us resume school because some do not have the opportunity to buy bags. But the church created an avenue to make it easy for parents in terms of school supplies.”
