The management of Procter and Gamble has explained its involvement in the “Forward Ever” competition, saying its target is to boost the girl-child education in the country.
This came as winners in this year’s contest said that the awards from the company would go a long way in supporting their education.
They spoke in Lagos as the firm presented N100, 000 to each of the 50 pupils who emerged victorious in this year’s competition.
The Brand Manager, Always Nigeria, Mr. Seun Balogun, who spoke on behalf of the company, said the initiative was not only to promote the quality of education in the country but also to boost the girl-child training in particular.
According to him, the Always Forward Ever campaign is to spur young girls and motivate them to achieve excellence and to look forward to the future with enthusiasm and hope.
The company inaugurated the campaign last July to encourage female pupils aged between 12 and 18 to write essays on “Who will you be in 10 years from now.”
One of the winners, Ogechi Benjamin, who spoke to our correspondent, lauded the company for initiating the competition.
The 16-year-old pupil of the Metropolitan Senior College, Isolo, Lagos, noted that the award would encourage her to continue to seek greater academic heights.
The Senior Secondary 3 pupil, while urging the company to keep on the good work, advised other corporate organisations to toe the path of makers of Always in reaching out to enterprising pupils.
Also, 14-year-old Habeebah Okanlawon of the Al-Kawthar Model College, Abule-Oko, Ogun State, said the reward would enable her to cater to her needs in the next academic session.
She said, “I am not just excited and happy, I am also grateful to the company for taking this bold step of rewarding pupils who excelled in the competition. I like the opportunity that this contest gave to me. It allowed me to look into my life with a view to looking to the future with enthusiasm. This award has challenged me to work towards my dreams and not just to wish them.”
The Vice-Principal (Academic), St. Michael’s Anglican Church College, Coker, Lagos, Mrs. Chika Onyewuchi, advised the winning pupils to continue to seek higher academic successes in life.
According to her, the reward from the company is just a stepping-stone to future accomplishment in their training.
She also urged the company not to relent in supporting the youth, noting that as future leaders, they need to be strong and healthy.
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