Our educational programs will focus adequately on the educational needs of children in rural areas.
We build model schools and provide educational facilities to enable all children to learn better.
We seek opportunities for funding and partnerships with external bodies to create better learning environments for rural children.
Recent Progress
Little Flower Nursery- Primary School (LFNPS)
In the Ipong community, rural children and youth (ages 5-15) are the most underserved populations in terms of education, healthcare and social welfare. About half of this population does not attend school and 98% of those who do attend are going to ill-equipped schools with dilapidated classrooms. In 2007, CORAfrica changed this trend through the establishment of Little Flower Nursery Primary School (LFNPS).
2011: Today LFNPS has grown to an enrollment of 167 children with a 10 member teaching staff. There are two ultra-modern classroom blocks, 100 state of the art desks, and three different sets of uniforms worn by the students as occasion demands. Children are served lunch daily at school and return in the evening for lessons. At holiday times special lessons are arranged and on festive days the children join the Ceremonial Match Past in competition with their peers in Government Schools. LFNPS has consistently won 1st prize in Marching and in Traditional dance for the past 3 years since its founding.
The objective is to produce future leaders for the community through basic education that is home-grown. Because paying for quality education has been an impossible dream for poor families in rural Africa, the partnership of LFNPS with external benefactors allows poor parents to pay for their children’s education without much stress. Moreover because these children are trained in vocational skills from an early age, they are better prepared for a more meaningful life in future.
In 2009, Our Founder Fr. Peter Abue made good use of 30 desktops and several laptops donated by the Cornell Computer Reuse Association (CCRA) thanks to Al Heiman and Tony Cosgrave of Cornell University, Ithaca, NY to establish "Cornell Computer School" at Itek-Obudu. The Cornell Computer School is today a recognized institution with the Cross River State Ministry of Education with 55 students in attendance. The center trains individuals and private sectors in current innovations, concepts and practices in information technology. It also offers classes on networking, computer maintenance. and repairs. The Program is 6 months operating on three shifts: morning, afternoon and evening, and offers diplomas in Computer Information Technology to both youths and working class trainees.
The goal is to provide technology skills for rural youths for employment in the competitive business world. The computers directly benefit all who make use of them, and indirectly benefit the community.
Collaboration with S.U.N.Y. and Students from Nigerian Universities
In August 2007, Dr. George Crosby was asked to represent the SUNY system as an agriculturist and to explore ways in which SUNY might partner with Nigerian universities, ultimately with the goal of assisting Children of Rural Africa. This visit first took him to Cross River State University of Technology, where he gave a presentation to Dr. Eka Braide, Vice Chancellor of Cross River State University of Technology, Calabar and 24 faculty and administrators, including Dean Prof. A. E. Akachukwu from the Faculty of Agriculture, Obubra campus. This presentation included information on the State University of New York system as well as the campus at Cobleskill.
Numerous opportunities for collaboration, including faculty and student exchange, internships, and joint research projects were discussed during that meeting.In addressing the group, Dr. Braide provided a strong commitment to collaborative ventures between Cross River State University of Technology and the State University of New York. All were appreciative of the efforts of Fr. Dr. Peter Abue and CORAfrica in providing the leadership to arrange this meeting. CRUTECH provided a wonderful dinner hosted by Dr. Braide with 24 faculty and administrators at the Channel View restaurant in Calabar. There, Dr. Crosby was presented with a gift of a table covering and ceramic bowl.
The following day, Dr. Crosby and Fr. Abue traveled to Cross River State University of Agriculture, Obubra, where a lecture on the collaborative efforts of the two universities was delivered to Sub-Dean Dr. E. Ayuk and approximately 80 agriculture faculty and students. Here again information on SUNY as well as Moringa oleifera research and work with gravity-feed irrigation systems was presented. Following a question and answer period, photos and some informal discussion, we departed for Ipong-Obudu Community, site for the proposed Community Education Center by CORAfrica.
