July 16, 2012

To: Alumni, AACHSA USA National
Copy: Nigeria National
Copy: UK National

Fellow Alumni:

On behalf of the executives I wish to inform you that the USA Alumni Association has on June 27 2012, completed the project to provide equipment and reagents for the Senior Secondary School (SSS) Science Laboratories.

Due to lack of maintenance and care over several years, the science laboratories allocated to the SSS became run down. With no running water, the students resorted to using buckets and jerry cans to fetch water for carrying out science experiments.

In 2010, the prior executive of the USA National headed by Ex-President Mr. Ola Famuyiwa undertook a major refurbishment of the two laboratories upstairs. An overhead water tank was installed by the laboratory building. A surface water pump was installed by an existing borehole and pipes laid from it to the water tank which in turn provided running water to the two laboratories. The piping and fittings were renovated and starting September 2010, water started flowing once again in the laboratories making life easier for the students to carry out science experiments. The third laboratory which is downstairs in the same science building remains derelict and not usable.

With the basic infrastructure restored, the next focus was the laboratory equipment which was mostly the very same ones that came with the founding of the school in the early 1960’s. The equipment had outlived their time and needed replacing.

In December 2010 shortly after current executive assumed office, the SSS Principal, Mr. Sawyerr in collaboration with his science teachers made a comprehensive list of equipment and reagents the school needed. The Principal then requested the USA National to help provide new sets of equipment and reagents for the Physics, Chemistry and Biology Laboratories. A few implements were also requested for Agric Science.

Items like potentiometer, voltmeter, ammeter, periscope, chemical balance, convex lens, pendulum, resistors were purchased for the Physics Lab; formalin, ethanol, human skeleton the Biology Lab; burettes, pipettes, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide pellet the Chemistry Lab; hand fork, hand trowel for Agric Science.

We list below the number of items, total quantities and cost of items provided for each laboratory.

Serial No. Laboratory Number of Items Total Quantity Supplied Cost Naira Cost USD
1. Physics 26 256 N884,150.00 $5,424.23
2. Biology 10 10 N81,950.00 $502.76
3. Chemistry 16 211 N115,750.00 $710.12
4. Agric 5 13 N56,300.00 $345.40
Total 57 500 N1,135,500.00 $6,982.52

All the items were sourced in Nigeria. There were some delays in executing the project due initially to insufficient fund and later to the vendor slow response in re-validating prices previously quoted.

The total cost (N1,138,150 / $6,982.52) of the project was fully funded by the Alumni (Annual) Dues of 2011 and the donations received from pledges made at the Reunion 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Thanks go to Education Committee headed by Dr. Joke Alade (’92). Under her leadership, the project was executed quickly once the vendor re-validated the quotes. Special thanks go to Mrs. Azafi Omoluabi-Ogosi a Nigeria based member of the Education Committee who coordinated delivery of the equipment to Aiyetoro.

We also thank every alumni in USA who paid their Alumni (Annual) Dues of $100.00 in 2011.

Additional thanks go to Dr. Phillip McCurdy (Biology Teacher, 1963 – 1965) and his wife Mrs. Marla McCurdy for their donation of $1,000.00 at the Boston Reunion Fund Raising and to Dr. Olaniyi Osofisan (’76 set) for redeeming, during 2011, the pledge of $2,700.00 he made at the same Boston reunion. These two donations really boosted the funds for the project.

Every nation needs a strong foundation in science to develop and prosper. You would agree with us that this project has the potential to spur young minds of the school into becoming great scientists of the future.

Our part is done as far as fulfilling the school’s requirement for the equipment and reagents that has brought the laboratories up the standard needed for meaningful science experiments. We would be checking periodically with the School Principal and the science teachers to make sure the students derive the maximum educational benefit from equipment and reagents now at hand.

We share with you some of the pictures taken on June 26 2012 when the first delivery comprising 99% of the equipment was delivered to the school. We also share the “Appreciation Letter” received from the SSS Principal, Mr. Sawyerr on July 4 2012.

The school is unpacking the items and making arrangement for safe storage. More pictures would be added to the website after the items are unpacked.

Sincerely,

Kola Ogunyomade
President AACHSA USA National
On Behalf of USA National Executives