…Awards scholarships worth over ₦5m, supports 20 petty traders
The Rotary Club of Uyo Metropolis has recorded significant community impact in October 2026 through interventions in education, healthcare, economic empowerment and polio eradication.
The Club’s October activities included scholarship awards worth over ₦5 million to students in Edem Ekpat, a ₦1.5 million fundraising drive for polio eradication, public awareness campaigns and financial support for 20 petty traders at Akpan Andem Market, Uyo.
The initiatives, carried out in collaboration with community partners and Rotaract clubs, were aimed at improving livelihoods, expanding educational opportunities and promoting public health.
On October 4, the Club partnered with the Umoh-Eboh Ancestral Scholarship Foundation and CAF America to award scholarships worth over ₦5 million to students in Edem Ekpat Community, Etinan Local Government Area.
The scholarship programme was designed to ease the financial burden of education and provide beneficiaries with sustained support towards achieving their academic goals.
Parents and guardians welcomed the intervention, while beneficiaries pledged to maintain good academic performance.
In its efforts to promote polio eradication, the Club also took its advocacy campaign to Inspiration 105.9 FM, Uyo, under the theme, “The Last Push.”
The radio engagement featured the Club President, Rtn. Kalu Sylvester, PHF++, Past District Governor Akan Emah and President-Elect James James.
The Rotarians used the platform to sensitise listeners on the importance of vaccination, public awareness and sustained community participation in the fight against polio.
As part of its fundraising efforts, the Club launched the $10 Challenge, encouraging members to contribute a minimum of $10 towards the global polio eradication campaign.
The initiative yielded ₦1.5 million, demonstrating the collective commitment of members to supporting immunisation programmes and protecting children from the preventable disease.
The Club further joined Rotarians and Rotaractors across Akwa Ibom State for a 1.5-kilometre End Polio Walk, which commenced at Oron Road and terminated at the Primary Health Centre, Barracks Road.
At the health centre, children aged between zero and three years received polio vaccinations.
The walk also provided an opportunity for participants to sensitise residents on the importance of childhood immunisation and the need for sustained public support for polio eradication.
In a separate intervention aimed at grassroots economic empowerment, the Club organised “Market Storm: Project Trade to Thrive” at Akpan Andem Market, Uyo.
The initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the Rotaract E-Club of Ibom Cosmopolitan and the Rotaract Club of Akwa Ibom State College of Nursing Sciences, Anua Campus, targeted small-scale traders whose businesses contribute to household livelihoods and the local economy.
During the market outreach, traders participated in interactive activities and a prize-wheel exercise, with rewards ranging from ₦5,000 to ₦50,000, alongside food items and other gifts.
The major highlight was the provision of ₦50,000 each to 20 randomly selected petty traders to support their businesses.
Seventeen beneficiaries received cash, while three others were supported through bank transfers.
The intervention was designed to provide practical financial assistance to small business owners, many of whom depend on daily sales to meet family responsibilities, including feeding, school fees and other household needs.
The October activities reflect the Club’s commitment to community development through strategic partnerships, direct interventions and sustained volunteer service.
Under its theme, “Creating Lasting Impact,” the Rotary Club of Uyo Metropolis said it remains focused on initiatives that promote education, improve health outcomes, strengthen livelihoods and create opportunities for underserved communities.
The Club’s activities underscore the role of community-based organisations in complementing broader development efforts through practical and people-centred interventions.
