DEHFOPAD Offers FREE EDUCATION to pupils of Government School Ebamut for 2026/27 School Year

The Dione Etiba Humanitarian Foundation for Peace and Development, DEHFOPAD, has launched a free education initiative for pupils of Government School, GS Ebamut for the 2026/2027 academic year.

 The initiative according to the promoter is geared at boosting enrollment and encourage quality education in the village and its neighboring communities.

Eco Outlook Media got in touch with the promoter Etiba Divine, who in an interview rolled out some details on the laudable project

Excerpts

1) What is DEHFOPAD all about?

DEHFOPAD stands for Dione Etiba Humanitarian Foundation for Peace and Development. We’re a foundation built around one simple belief that peace, resilience, and sustainable progress start at the community level. Our motto captures it: Peace, Resilience and Sustainable Progress. We focus on practical support namely; education, community upliftment, and initiatives that touch lives directly.

2) Why this free education drive for 2026/2027

Education is the foundation everything else is built on. Too many children in Ebamut and neighboring villages face barriers to school,  cost being one of the biggest reasons.

I grew up seeing myself and other kids go to school on bare feet, no school bags, no pens and pencils sometimes, some generous kids even divided one pencil into two with their peers. We want to remove that barrier completely, so no child is left behind simply because their family couldn’t afford bags, books, or pens. This is our way of investing directly in the next generation.

3) How free is this support ,what exactly are you providing per pupil?

Every child who enrolls at Government School Ebamut for the 2026/2027 academic year receives a full school starter kit at no cost: a bag, books, pens and pencils, uniforms, rulers, in facts all school needs. No fees, no hidden costs, every child is welcome.

4) This should be a very challenging task.

It is, honestly. Reaching every child, coordinating supplies, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks takes real commitment. But the challenge is worth it when you think about the impact on these children’s futures. The chief of Ebamut village HRM Esong Julius Etiba, the school head and the entire village is ready to support us realize this initiative.

5) Any hopes to sustain this beyond the coming academic year, and for how long?

Yes, this isn’t meant to be a one-time gesture. Our hope is to make this a recurring commitment, growing it year over year and eventually extending it to more schools in the region. How long depends on our capacity to fundraise and expand partnerships, but our long-term vision is sustained support, not a single act.

6) Ebamut should be very close to your heart. How close?

Ebamut is my village and it is said that charity begins at home. Whatever I’m today is powered by my ancestors from Ebamut. That’s where I want to be celebrated, if you ask me. It’s where my roots are, and where I’ve seen firsthand the gap between potential and opportunity. That personal connection is exactly why this foundation started here first. I think is a modest thing to clean my house before cleaning that of my neighbor’s.

7) Any word of advice to the Ebamut community?

Believe in the value of education, and encourage every child no matter the circumstances,  to enroll and stay in school. Change starts with us, and small steps today build a stronger community tomorrow.

Small drops of rain makes an ocean, someone said.