The students of EPP Abobo Kpoguédé (TOGO) are overjoyed as they recently received a visit from the angels of the A.D.E.D Association (Friends of Deprived Children). The group, led by the association’s patroness, Mrs. Vicky A. GUIDIGLO, wife of Djinadou, and the president, Norbert Komlanvi GUIDIGLO, upheld a longstanding tradition of donating school supplies to the young students of Zio Prefecture just days before the start of the academic year.
In this edition of the operation, the A.D.E.D delegation went beyond providing only school kits. They also gifted sandals and organized a game with rewards for the local children. The patroness, who resides in the United States and traveled to Togo for the occasion, expressed her happiness. “We are here to assist children whose parents are in a difficult financial situation and unable to purchase supplies for their children. We have been able to provide some essential tools for a good start to the school year, within our means. The kits we offered included school bags, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, covers, geometry sets…” she shared with our reporter.
“We started this assistance five years ago, and this is my first time being physically present. It is a great joy for me to be part of this,” she continued. Mrs. GUIDIGLO acknowledged the children’s need for assistance, adding, “we can only do as much as we can afford.” In order to impact more people in this locality of Zio Prefecture, specifically Zio 1 Municipality, she made a call for additional support. “We extend a hand to others for future actions and thank all the goodwill that contributed to fulfilling this operation,” she said.
The beneficiary students and their parents expressed their gratitude. Prudence Dédé Agbodjan, a CM2 student, was very pleased with A.D.E.D’s gesture. “I am very happy. I will never forget this gesture. I have never been the recipient of such attention. I hope that those who have not been considered this time will also get their turn,” she said.
The teaching staff also shared in the joy. “We are fulfilled. These kinds of things don’t usually happen here. We are in a remote corner, and parents don’t have much means. At the beginning of the school year, you will see children coming with empty hands, some without even the money for breakfast. With this donation, the difficulties will be less at the start of the school year,” revealed Agbodja Amévi Paulin, Director of EPP Abobo Kpoguédé. He also painted a bleak picture of the challenges they face during the school year, including healthcare costs. The hope is that future operations will cover all the children of EPP Abobo Kpoguédé.
To conclude, valuable advice was given to the students, and the teaching staff was promised support to ensure a successful school year. EPP Abobo Kpoguédé was established on January 6, 1975. According to last year’s data, it had six classes with 314 students.