BOOK LAUNCH: "EMERGING HEROES" BY CAROLINE EGEGE DONATED TO STUDENTS OF IDIA COLLEGE

To the 2004 set of the Old Girls Association Of Idia college, it was a home coming and a reunion of sorts as they converged at the school auditorium, yesterday, to launch and unveil a novel, "EMERGING HEROES", written by one of their own, Barr. Caroline Ejuwaye Egege, to mark their 20th anniversary.

The one hundred and forty Six page novel, was, according to the author, primarily aimed at motivating the students to imbibe the habit of focusing on the vision of attaining greatness in life which focusing on their studies can guarantee.

In her welcome address, the Converner of the event, Barr. Caroline Ejuwaye Egege, said that the program was primarily to encourage the students to be focused in their quest to attaining greatness and also to give back to the school that has made them what they are today.

"I had the burden as to what to do to encourage the younger generation to continue to aspire to achieve their dreams and as such, we thought of regular counseling and mentoring but on a second thought I felt that it would be good to put the counseling in a novel form which will be helpful and instructive to anyone that reads it.

She said that it was normal for children to assist their parents in the markets, in farms and in other business places after school hours and during the holidays but cautioned them not to be carried away with the little money they might be making from such endeavors adding that some of their peers way back were carried away with that little money and eventually ended up in the same marketplace with their mothers thereby cutting short the good life sound education would have given them.

The author who was the head girl during her days at Idia college said she used to help her mother with hawking rice after school, adding that she was so proud of helping but never allowed herself to be carried away, stressing that life was like a movie script which requires that you must be judicious with every role assigned to you. She said that the hawking of rice was another script in the history of her school life which she said she acted well.

She admonished them not to feel that their lives were in a mess simply because of the present situation they might find themselves adding that such situations do not last forever and she therefore advised them to see themselves as emerging heroes reinforcing that true heroism lies within the individual spirit.

She advised them to disengage from any needless relationship that could jeopardize their future prospects stressing that those of them who are already having boyfriends to desist from such as it has ruined the chances of so many students from achieving their dreams.

She therefore admonished them to be focused, determined and resilient in the pursuit of their worthwhile dreams of becoming great in life saying that once there is a vision that the provision would always come.

Speaking with the press at the venue, an old girl of the school, Dr Mrs Goldia Odia who said she graduated from the school in 1994 said she was excited to be at the event of book launch and presentation to the students saying that it was a way of giving back to the school that has made them what they are today adding that August this year they donated a block of classroom to the students and therefore advised the students to imbibe the culture of giving back to the society.

The present president of the old girls association of Idia college, Benin Chapter, Mrs Osemenoyemen Onaiwu, said she was excited to join the 2004 set of the old girls association of the school in a free book launch , Emerging Heroes, and other school materials which were distributed to every student present at the event.

" We usually visit the school to give them scholarships and materials so as to encourage them to focus on their studies. We renovate the School, provided Chairs and writing materials so as to encourage them. This year alone we have visited this school more than 10 times for one engagement and another and we hope to continue so that our girls could compete favourably anywhere they find themselves around the globe.

Also speaking with the press at the event, the author, Barrister (Mrs) Caroline Ejuwaye Egege who said she passed out of the school 20 years ago pointed out that she was the head girl of the school and had statistics of students that dropped out of school because they got pregnant.

" The burden of that statistics of students who dropped out of school because of pregnancy and other related issues have always been on my mind and I have been trying to find ways to encourage the upcoming young heroes of my Alma mata and to find ways to give back to the school that has made me whom I am today and I felt the best way to do this is to put it into a book, which to me, is a memo, with the hope that it becomes useful to as many that would read it, and I encourage them to imbibe the values that are coded in the book and I am confident that they will all emerge as heroes because the novel is a prophecy.

Another respondent who spoke with the press at the event was the head girl of the School, Miss Ewie Omoriyekemwen who said it was a big privilege to be a beneficiary of the gesture.

According to her, " I am indeed very happy to be a part of this event because not all students like me in Edo State are privileged to have old girls who are responsible and this means like having many responsible mothers charging us to move forward and encouraging us and this gesture is teaching us to also be responsible and a time will come we will also be like them to give back to the younger generation. So, this book is a reminder that we should continue to do what we are supposed to do and to continue to look at the vision and not the provision just as the author earlier said that once you have the vision, the provision will come and that your hero is within and it is you that will make your hero rise and shine".

The Executive Principal of the School, Mrs Ehirema Jones was full of appreciation for the 2004 set of the old girls of the school.

" I sincerely appreciate the 2004 old girls who have come here today to mark their 20th anniversary by this laudable free book launch and presentation to students which will go in no small way to inspire the students to aim at greatness. They have given them books and other writing materials and to some they have given scholarships and so, I am indeed very happy and appreciative of the gesture which will inspire others to work harder in order to improve on their academics".

Highlight of the event was a quiz session by the student, the presentation of gifts to outstanding students , the distribution of the novel to hundreds of the students and the guests present at the occasion .