Oji-River Peoples Forum, Houston, Texas USA

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." -- Nelson Mandela

“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.” -- Kofi Annan

Ten Recipients of the OPF Underprivilege Scholarship (June 2008)

PROLOGUE: OPF underprivileged scholarship award is a part of the Oji-River People’s Forum Community Development Project, launched on September 22, 2007, in Houston, Texas, USA. This scholarship will pay the [10] recipients’ full tuition fee for the entire four-year bachelor’s degree program in Nigeria. [Note: Two students from each of the 5 Towns of Oji-River LGA, Enugu State, Nigeria, got the scholarship.]

OUR GRATITUDE: We, the members of OPF (see below), owe a big debt of gratitude to those who donated to this project. Thank you very much for helping us to open the gates of opportunity and hope to our youth. Needless to say, our community will harvest the fruits of your generosity in about four years from now. May God bless you!

Recipients

I. Achi

Mr. Onyemachi Ifeanyi Richmond
Major: Electronic Engineering (University of Nigeria, Nsukka)

Mr. Madu Raphael Chukwuka
Major: Microbiology (University of Nigeria, Nsukka)

II. Akpugoeze

Mr. Madubuko Emeka Christian
Major: Engineering (University of Nigeria, Nsukka)

Mr. Ozoemena Ernest Izuchukwu
Major: Biochemistry (University of Nigeria, Nsukka)

III. Awlaw

Ms. Adaora Maureen Iloh
Major: English (Nasarawa State University)

TBA

IV. Inyi

Ms. Grace Orah Okwudili
Major: Marketing (St. Paul’s University College – UNN Affiliate)

Mr. Onwurah Okwudili O.
Major: Law (University of Nigeria, Nsukka)

V. Ugwuoba

Ms. Chioma Adaobi Obi
Major: Parasitology (Enugu State University of Science and Technology)

Mr. Nwokolo Paulinus Chukwuebuka
Major: Industrial Physics (Anambra State University)

Winner: Western Union 2007 Essay Competition

Mazi Chijioke Onyekwelu is the 2nd Place Winner in the Western Union 2007 Essay Competition, “Celebrating African Milestones". Participants wrote essays, explaining "What Independence Means to Them."

Chijioke was awarded $1,000 by Western Union (March, 2008). For details of this essay competition, click here. Chijioke is curently a Pre-Med freshman student at Angelo State University, San Antonio, Texas. OPF is very proud of Chijioke, and congratulates him so dearly. We wish him the very best.