TotalEnergies set to restart CSR initiative in Egi host community
Ben Eguzozie is business a.m. regional lead based in Port Harcourt, providing regional and national coverage for economy, business and finance
You can contact him on ben.eguzozie@businessamlive.com with stories and commentary.
TotalEnergies Nigeria (formerly Total E&P), a subsidiary of French global oil and energy giant, Total Corporation, is restarting its ‘Catch Dem Young’ (CDY) initiative, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project to support gifted indigent students chosen from 13 Egi land communities of Rivers State, which is the company’s key host community.
The project, an educational scholarship programme targeted at training gifted indigent children from the host communities, has since its institution in 2007 supported hundreds of indigent students from Egi communities.
According to Okechukwu Obara, deputy general manager, community affairs development programme (CADP) of TotalEnergies, the company is restarting the educational scholarship programme based on a passionate appeal from the chiefs and community leaders of the communities made during a recent visit of TotalEnergies president to their Nigeria host communities.
He spoke in Port Harcourt during the 2021 send forth and graduation ceremony of students of Showers Christian High Schools, where most of the CDY beneficiaries are schooling, saying that the initiative is the energy company’s flagship CSR programme which has touched several families in the host communities; turning several timid village children into successful graduate youths, with some of them being engaged in the company; others employed outside Nigeria.
Obara said TotalEnergies found out that the CDY has produced exceptionally brilliant young people who would be global record setters and beaters, adding that it has also proven that rural-based children are as good as those in the cities; and can be trained to become educationally exceptional.
Last year, the educational support project for host communities’ indigent children inched on a global scale as one of its beneficiaries, Holy Destiny Ike, an indigent boy from Amah, Egi in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni local council of Rivers State, emerged winner of the 2020 Cambridge International (Outstanding) Learner’s Award.
Today, he has been offered admission by the University of Alberta in Canada.
The award acknowledges exceptional Nigeria-based learners’ achievements in Cambridge International Examinations taken by students around the world through the British Council. It recognizes the talent and hard work of learners, and acknowledges the dedication and commitment of both teachers and parents
“It is part of TotalEenergies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects to support the communities’ human capital development through education of their youths,” the company had said in a statement.
Under the programme, the French energy giant provides financial backing for qualified CDY beneficiaries to Showers Christian High Schools.
Emilia Ekama Akpan, chief executive of Showers schools, reacting to the award, and several others by students from her school in three years said: “It was quite commendable for TotalEnergies Nigeria to provide the financial support to train these exceptionally brilliant indigent children.”