Bertha Arinze Education Foundation berths as succour to indigent girl-child

At a recent charity dinner event in Lagos, the Arinze family unveiled the Bertha Arinze Education Foundation to raise funds for a number of initiatives for the girl-child education in Girls Secondary School Abagana in loving memory of their mother, Bertha Arinze, who died recently. Frank Uzuegbunam writes that this iconic school, established by the community to help the recovery from civil war devastation (many would remember “Abagana Sector”) today stands in need of basic facilities, and support for brilliant but mostly poor girls.

I believe that in the current economic environment, and considering the likely investment in travel time and risk to my town for the burial, it would be more in tune with my mother’s sense of propriety to request that you commit any intended goodwill expenses to the school needs of talented but financially challenged girls, Dozie Arinze, one of the children of the deceased, said in his brief remark at the event.

The Bertha Arinze Education Foundation targets raising N20 million towards the following, among others: refurbishment of the Science Laboratory in Girls Secondary School Abagana, merit based science scholarship for SS1 – SS3 students (five years period, including undergraduate and trade school).

According to Dozie, my mum dedicated her post-war working years to education, part of the time helping to establish and run a science laboratory in Girls Secondary School, Abagana, and to lifelong advocacy for fuller life for the girl child.

Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, founder, LEAP Africa and guest speaker at the charity dinner event, commended the family for their vision, passion and commitment to causes beyond enriching themselves and their immediate families.

“Their mum was more than just the light on their life. She represented in a below-the-radar yet luminous way, everything the African woman possesses and deserves recognition for her courage, industry, resilience, and much more.

“In her honour they had chosen to launch the Foundation and its initial projects to support talented girls in Girls Secondary School, Abagana. The school was founded by the community to help themselves overcome the ravages of the civil war and mama spent all her public service years helping to set up and running the school’s science laboratory,” Nwuneli said.

Speaking on the theme, “Education, Values and the Girl Child,” Nwuneli said that while the gap between female and male genders in the classroom is closing, there is still a 10 percent spread, and there is a greater attrition of women between primary, and secondary and secondary and university, with only 5 percent of women attaining post-secondary, and 7 percent of men doing the same. The gap is larger outside the southeast.

“Beyond the statistics, culture continues to keep many women from attaining their highest potential. Fourteen years ago, I started a non-profit focused on the Southeast called NIA – Ndu Ike Akunuba to empower women to achieve their highest potential. I started this organisation because every Igbo woman that I met in Enugu or Anambra State was focused on finishing school, and moving into their rich husband’s home, and then having a male child. I was alarmed by the numbers that were focused on this than on achieving their highest potential”.

Nwuneli listed the advantages of investing in educating a girl child to include improved infant, child and maternal mortality, improved economies for communities, increased social stability and reduced abuse. She challenged the audience on their role as citizens and civil society to include providing scholarships to children, investing in the teachers – supplementing salaries, providing books, mentor, internships, career support and advice and provision of laboratory and infrastructures. The government’s role, Nwuneli said include creating an enabling environment, infrastructure, monitoring and evaluation and raising the standards.

Concluding her presentation, the LEAP founder said that philanthropy allows an individual to leave a legacy beyond his or her lifetime and to transform the lives of others.

“Today, we remember and celebrate Rockefeller, Ford, Carnegie, Gates and even Clinton because of the impact of their foundations. 100 years from now we will be celebrating the Bertha Arinze Education Foundation for its pioneering work in the area of education, of the girl child and all children. You can trust that the Arinze family will do a great job in utilising the funds to transform the educational outcomes of our girls,” she said.

A documentary film of the Girls Secondary School Abagana and the facilities begging for upgrade was shown to the guests at the charity event. The documentary also included an interview with the current Principal of the school who appreciated the Arinze family for the initiative in their effort to sustain Mama’s legacy and to improve the education and futures of her students.

The late Bertha Arinze, fondly called Arunne-n’Echendo, lived a life of courage, industriousness, and resilience and compassionate. She was born into the family of Joseph Chikelue Nzeako, a Catechist of the Anglican Church and his wife Priscilla Nzeako of Ezi-Akpaka, Umudunu village of Abagana. She grew up to love her parents so much that when her dear mother was sick, she volunteered to leave school in order to take care of her. This she did for about three years, while her other siblings, older and younger, continued to higher education.

At the recovery of her mother, fortune smiled on her. She tied the knot with Eric Nwoye Arinze of Uru village Abagana. Their marriage was blessed with six lovely children.  As an ardent member of the Anglican Church then, she contributed very much to that faith, both at home and Lafia where she sojourned with her husband before the outbreak of the Nigeria civil war.

The civil war necessitated that the whole family repatriate back to Abagana, where she dedicated her post-war working years to education; helping to establish and run a science laboratory in Girls Secondary School in same town, and to lifelong advocacy for better life for the girl child. The community established this iconic school to help the recovery from civil war devastation.

Frank Uzuegbunam