Church Donates 3,000 School Bags, Books To Pupils In Lagos

The Foundation of Truth Assembly (FOTA) has empowered 3,000 nursery, primary, and secondary school pupils in Lagos with back-to-school bags, exercise books, pencils, pens, and other learning materials as part of its annual outreach to support families ahead of school resumption.

The donation exercise, held in Ajah, Lagos, is the fifth edition of the church’s Back-to-School initiative.

Speaking during the distribution, the Lead Pastor of FOTA, Pastor Pedro Omontuemhen, said the project aims to ease the financial burden on parents while reaching out to children from diverse backgrounds.

“This is Back to School 5.0, the fifth year of this initiative. Today, our goal is to reach 3,000 students with school bags, books, and writing materials.

There’s no religious basis for selection; it’s strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. The first child got here at 4 a.m. this morning. We’ve arranged everything in batches, with police and volunteers on ground to ensure order and safety,” Omontuemhen said.

He noted that the initiative has been sustained through contributions from church members, friends, and a few corporate sponsors.

Some of the beneficiaries and their parents expressed appreciation for the gesture.

Faith Lucky, a JSS 3 student receiving the gift for the second time, said:

“I feel very happy for this gift. God bless the church and provide more for them because this is my second time receiving a school bag from them.”

Sarah Jesse, a Basic 6 pupil, shared similar excitement:

“I’m very excited to have this bag. I pray that God will continue to bless the church.”

Esther John, a mother of six, said the support has been a huge relief for her family:

“All six of my children collected school bags this year. They are still using last year’s bags, and now they have new ones. I really appreciate this church.”

Another parent, Angela Izimefuna, highlighted the economic impact:

“This is the third time my children are benefiting. One bag costs at least ₦11,000, so giving three bags has saved me a lot. God bless everyone who contributed.”

Coordinator of the program, Iyoha Oluwatoyin, said the outreach was created to ease the burden of rising costs on families while spreading hope across religious and ethnic lines.

“We started this initiative five years ago to give back to society, irrespective of religion or background. Some families are struggling, and this is our way of helping. We also believe this act of kindness will one day inspire some of these children to know God,” she said.

She added that organizers had stayed overnight at the venue to ensure an orderly and safe distribution process.

“Some people started arriving as early as 4 a.m. To avoid stampedes, we issued numbers to participants and organized entry in batches.”