Rotary club, a non-governmental organization of business and professional men and women is not only known for its impactful projects in the area of health and economic empowerment in Nigeria, but also for its contribution to the development of our educational sector.
 
 
There is no gainsaying a conducive learning environment can be the driving force behind a student’s desire to study but sadly, the reverse has been the case for pupils of Magboro Community Primary School and Magboro Community High school, both in the same premises, in Magboro area of Ogun state.
 
The students who have had to study in a non-conducive environment where they were left with no choice than to make use of an old and messy toilet facility while in school for years finally weathered the storm, but not without the help of members of Rotary Club of Arepo Longbridge, District 9110 who came to their rescue.
 
The club members in a space of three weeks, erected a block of six modern toilets, three for each of the schools with water facility. The new facility was officially opened for use on Sunday, February 16, 2020 by the District Governor, Dr. Jide Akleredolu who commissioned the toilet alongside the club president, Wole Akinkuolie, district leaders and other members of the club.
 
 
The new toilet facility project is one of the many ways through which the club has impacted in Magboro community and its environs in the areas of education, health, sanitation, feeding, welfare, and conflict resolution.
 
Two out of the three classrooms of the only community primary school in Arepo community was refurbished by the club. The club has also donated drugs and beddings to the health Centre in Ibafo and also provided reading glasses for 200 people in Warewa community.
 
Speaking during the commissioning, the club president revealed that the toilet building project arose out of the club’s willingness to impact on the needy children of the schools, improve their sanitation, and eventually use it as a conflict resolution tool between the primary school with about 700 students and the secondary school which have about 1,800 students.
 
He also noted that the initial plan by the club was to erect a toilet facility for the secondary school as requested by the school during the needs assessment, but on arriving the school to inspect the land to be used for the toilet construction, the head teacher of the primary school came around and asked the club members to extend the gesture to the primary school.
 
“I discussed with our members present and we had to change the plan immediately. We increased our budget and instead of building a block of four toilet rooms, we increased it to six toilet rooms. While constructing it, they requested that their water facility and soak away be channeled separately which was actually an extra cost for us but we had to do it in order for peace to reign”, Akinkuolie narrated.
 
He commended his club members for their joint efforts in ensuring the success of the project.
 
Also present at the commissioning were the management staff and pupils of both schools who were on ground to specially welcome and thank the Rotarians; Obafemi Okanlawon, the Vice Chairman, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Transition Committee; and Mrs M. O. Adun, the Vice Principal of Magboro Community High School who promised the club members that the toilet facility will be carefully used and managed to the best of their ability.
 
Two new Rotarians were inducted into the club.