The 3rd Kola Kids and
Teens Award held on the at Sandralia Hotel, Jabi on July 3, 2016. It was a very
colourful event which kicked off with national anthem, followed by speech from
the promoters of the award before the award ceremony proper.
The room was filled with awardees,
their families, friends and their well wishers.
The promoters of the award explained
that there were a lot of outstanding children who they intended to bring to the
attention of the world in other to encourage them as worthy ambassadors of the
country. They were also happy that for the first time, they were bringing
awardees from outside Abuja.
The KOLA 2016 awardees are: Chinedu
Angel Obi-Obasi, Kareen Happuch Odinenu, Amemusito Choir, Ekwupulum Ikechukwu
Hezekiah, Babatimilehin Gabriel Daomi, Ms.
Teresa Oyibo Ameh (KOLA Kids Woman,2016) and Sir. Ikechukwu Nwobi (KOLA Kids
Man,2016)
The last two were adults who were known
philanthropists.
Before the plaque and certificate
was presented to any of the awardees, the audience is shown a documentary of
that particular awardee.
The profiles of the
awardees were as follows;
Chinedu Angel Obi-Obasi is a 10 year old outstanding
student, leader, voracious reader, writer, critical thinker and performer.
The last of 5 children, Chinedu showcases her leadership
abilities professionally as a head prefect of Heritage Academy and personally
as she constantly equips herself with the books she reads. At such a young age,
she has read over 100 books.
Chinedu was the first runner up in a keenly contested spelling
bee competition organized by Lyght Consult.
She has performed at the reading hosted by Association of
Nigerian Authors (ANA) in honour of Dr. Wale Okediran. She also read her short
story at the event organised by Lyght Consult and also at the special reading
by Abuja Literary Society.
Enmeshed in humility, Chinedu continually showcases her
intelligent and critical mind which is
not common among her peers coupled. Just recently, on children’s day, she was on National
Television speaking on the Rights of Nigeria Child. A literary critic, she was seen
on NTA Weekend deal, critiquing Dr. Wale Okediran’s book, ‘After the Flood.’
She hopes to publish her first book next year.
Karen Happuch Odinenu is a 19 year old
brilliant composer, singer, instrumentalist and entrepreneur.
Her
journey to musical excellence begun at the age of 13 when she decided she
wanted to learn how to play a guitar and so she started saving for it.
With encouragement from her family who provided her with her first
guitar, she became exposed to a new world where she could transport herself and
her listeners to a beautiful world with her music.
Karen-Happuch started public performances at a young age and has performed
at renowned events and places such as Freedom Hall, The Presidential Villa etc.
She showcased her entrepreneurship skill set as a leading member in Junior
Achievement, Nigeria which led her and her team to represent Nigeria in South
Africa.
Her musical video on YouTube has garnered a lot of views and shares.
Despite the challenges she faces in her musical career, she continues to
excel and set outstanding records academically.
Her motivation and ambition to excel is continually taking her places
and opening the right doors for her.
Amemusito
Choir is a group of talented, young people within
the ages of 6 - 18, who love to sing and are gifted with the abilities to play
different musical instruments.
Amemusito was created in 2009 with the vision to groom children and make
them good citizens and good ambassadors of the country and the world at
large and mentors to young ones through music.
This dream was initiated by the wife of the former German ambassador to
Nigeria Mrs. Cecilia Toledo de Schmillen whose love for music is based on a
passion which drives her to create wonderful strides in order to achieve her
dreams.
One of such dreams led to the establishment of AMEMUSO which performs a
world class event annually known as Operabuja which features artistes and
musicians from around the world.
Amemusito owes its success mostly to their music director Joshua Opara
who has them geared with the mission of singing to change the world.
Ekwupulum Ikechukwu Hezehiah is an innovative automobile designer and
fabricator. As a child, he always had the belief that he would go places.
He started out by making designs for toy cars from a young age of 7
years and even fabricated his designs. His dream to make a real automobile was
hindered by the environment he found himself, but he never let it kill his
dreams.
In 2015, after months of hard work and dedication invested in the design, purchase,
construction and application of a high level of auto-mechanical engineering,
Hezekiah's dream to design and fabricate an automobile came to fruition when he
created his first, human sized, gasoline engine powered automobile and sports
cars. An automobile he named Hezeki 1.2.
The showcasing of his automobile wasn't met with the anticipated
excitement he hoped for nonetheless, Hezekiah is relentless in dream to be a
leading automobile producer in the nearest future.
His plans include refinement of his product to higher models and with
God on his side, he knows he would make it.
Babatimilehin Gabriel Daomi is a 15
years old creative innovator,
manufacturer and entrepreneur.
Currently an arts student, his keen interest in science leaves him
determined and poised to change his world and make it better through his
inventions.
Babatimilehin applies a scientific approach as he observes his
environment to determine what works and what doesn't and then hypothesizes,
creates and applies solutions to the everyday challenges he discovers. His
resourcefulness sees him making his inventions from discarded materials and
disused electronics.
Among his inventions are Toilet Soap Holder, Toy Motorized
Speed Boat, Handy Vacuum Cleaner, Table Fountain Water, Toy DC Motorbike,
Candle Holder (Chandelier), Self-Water Flower Vase, Self-Watered Flower Vase,
Necklace Holder, DC Phone Power Bank, Toilet Tissue Dispenser, USB Portable Air
Fan, Mini Pumping Machine and Salt/Pepper Dispenser.
His Mini Digital Microscope won accolades and award at a hotly
contested competition in Lagos by reputable NGO,
Vision 20:20 Initiatives, among over 500 secondary schools in Lagos
State.
Babatimilehin attributes his success to God from whom he draws
inspiration and who is his Mentor and Motivator.
It is his hope and vision to make Nigeria great, to invent
Nigerian products for Nigerians and reduce the country's reliance on
technologies from foreign countries and place Nigeria among
technology-developed countries in African and in the world.
The
KOLA Kids Woman award was given to Ms. Teresa Ameh (also
known as Aunty Talatu). Ms Ameh is a mother, a civil servant and a writer. She
is also the author of seven books for children including The Twins’ visits,
Lessons from Aunty Talatu and Drop that Phone!
She is a member of the
Association of Nigeria Authors, Abuja Literary Society and Abuja Writer’s
Forum. She is also a patroness of Arojah Theatre Concepts.
She was a two term Vice
Chairman of the Association of Nigeria Authors (Abuja Chapter) and has donated
two mini libraries at the orphanages in Gwarimpa, Abuja.
Her project, Aunty Talatu
Reads is aimed at encouraging reading among children.
KOLA
Kids Man, 2016 award was given to the Managing Director of Iyke
Connections Ltd which runs a chain of luxury shops.
He is the founder of
Ikechukwu Nwobi Nwajiakwu Foundation, an NGO that caters for Orphans, Widows
and Education for younger ones. He was represented by his staff.
He maintains the philosophy
of always reaching out to other people, especially the less privileged.
Special gratitude goes to
Miles Morland foundation that has consistently supported the Kola Kids
Initiative and other sponsors.
The organisers asked the
audience to watch out for a bigger show next year
1 comment:
Excellent, very excellent report.
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