Date: 2016-08-26

Boys and girls still in their teens whose ages range from 13 to 17 years are expected to stretch and swagger. During these ages, there are wild and powerful juices flowing in their veins. Their adrenalins which are still active and full blown will be getting them excited and they will be full of energies and activities. These could be productive and counter-productive activities.

This is exactly the experiences of the students of the Esie Community High School, Kwara State. For these young boys and girls, their youthful engagements are productive ones. Of course they have a guiding angel in their school principal, Mr Odedeji Taye who is sure-footedly guiding their steps to promising future. Through a UNESCO Club, a sort of cultural movement, these students are not only re-writing their school's programmes to suite and fit their needs, times and futures in their area, they are also setting paces for other schools in their neighbourhoods, far and near.

The UNESCO Club was established more than 20 years ago in Esie Community High School, precisely on the 16th of MAY 1995 with twenty five members. It was introduced by Mr Oladele Adeniran, the then State Coordinator of UNESCO and NYSC member when late Mr Jaccob Agboola Awoyale was the school's principal. The UNESCO Club however had a chequered fortune in the school, i.e its activities were epileptic due to the paucity of funds and inadequate facilities. UNESCO on the other hand has footprints in Esie because of the Esie National Museum. A few years back UNESCO listed the Esie National Museum on its World Heritage Sites. Esie is an ancient, rustic Igbomina community with a quaint rural ambience, with sparse development but by virtue of the Esie soapstone images,the community is now on the world map. The ancient town is in Irepodun Local Government Area lying some kilometers away from Ilorin Capital of Kwara State.

One principal person that comes to the picture as far as the Esie National Museum is concerned is his Royal Highness, Oba Yakubu Agboola Babalola Egunjobi II, the Elesie of Esie Kingdom as the custodian of these cultural artifacts. It was the first National Museum in Nigeria, inside it stood the mysterious stone images whose origin have remained unknown till date. Since their discovery 240 years ago in a thick forest near the community, no one has been able to solve the raging puzzle. Till date, they still remain a mystery. The origin of these soapstone figures or images are bewildering. Indeed nobody knows how these stone Images exactly came about except an explanation offered by inhabitants of the town. The most popular among them is the one that says these 800 stone Images were rebellious settlers who were turned into stone images by the Gods. But judging from other stone sculptures in other parts of the world, these stone images are certainly works of men. But knowing an average African man for what he is, his philia or penchant for myths and superstitions that could hardly stand the critical scrutiny of science.

But the question and puzzle still remains. What could be the source of the Esie statues? Consequences of Gods' wraths for the peoples' rebellion or creative works of men's imagination? Anyway it is this stupefying and benumbling masterpieces that made the UNESCO to show interest a few years back in Esie. And being the head of the community, Oba Yakubu Agboola Babalola Egunjobi II, Elesie of Esie becomes the custodian of the artifacts. This was a clincher for the Community High School, Esie which takes an advantage of this to establish a UNESCO Club in the school. And expectedly UNESCO picks interest in the activities of the school the way it picks interest in Esie stone images and their cultural imports. This of course inextricably intertwines the school's life and its activities with that of the community's Any discerning visitor to the school will notice that two of these soapstone images are captured on the school's logo as symbol of love, peace, unity and progress. The Images are also captured on the school's badge, school's letter headed paper and other important items. The trinity of the school, Esie Community and National Museum, Esie is so inextricably intertwined that any important visitor to the school on the platform of UNESCO Club often enjoys the magnanimity of the Elesie Kingdom who is the official custodian of the Museum by visiting the National Museum Esie before departure.

The above was the account of the principal of the Community High School, Esie, Mr.Odedeji Taye at the training conference for all UNESCO Clubs and ASPNET School Coordinators in Abuja on the 4th of April 2016.The high octane event took place at the NCCE Building near Federal Ministry of Finance. The stakeholders under a breezy and relaxed atmosphere, one after the other rendered different accounts and compared notes which were reminiscent of their experiences with the UNESCO Clubs in their various schools. For Odedeji Taye, his lucid disquisition which he gave with distinction and aplomb was the rubric of his general assessment of the impacts of UNESCO in the cultural landscape of Esie community which of course reverberates in the Community High School.

In his account, he says "the school was registered at 14 Broad Street Lagos when Mrs Chukukere G I A signed for the then Secretary General of the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO on the 14th of JUNE 1995".Then Kunle Afariogun and Mrs Titilade Adefila emerged as president and secretary respectively after the inauguration. As a young teacher of English and Yoruba Languages then, Odedeji Taye now the principal of the school was appointed as the second patron of the club while the first patron was Mr. Awotundun .J. Sunday now a Senior lecturer at the Department of Nigerian Languages, Federal College of Education, Panshin, Plateau State.

The activities of the club were initially epileptic due to paucity of funds and inadequate facilities. Then Odedeji Taye was transferred as teacher from the school in 1995.That was a brief history of the UNESCO Club in the Community High School Esie. About twenty years after in February 2014, he was posted back to the school as Vice Principal [Special Duties]and within eight months, Mr Odedeji was appointed the principal of the school, on October 2014 precisely.

On JUNE 2015, he unexpectedly received a letter dated 19th February 2015 from the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO documented as IEF/21/S.175 Volume III, requesting him to start the reactivation of the UNESCO Clubs in Nigeria. OF course, he did not delay in this reactivating exercise as he swung into action. Moreso that this was a familiar turf to him, also very many recent developments were favourable to facilitate the reactivation, growth and spread of UNESCO Clubs in schools around Esie and Kwara State in general.

Since 2014 to date, students of the Community High School, Esie had been greatly exposed according to Odedeji, to programmes that were in line the goals and aspirations of UNESCO Clubs all over the world. Such programmes include; A2-DAY sensitization workshop on entrepreneurship skills acquisition and information communication technology organized in collaboration with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria [SMEDAN]which was held at the school premises between 12th and 13th of MARCH,2014.The school also participated in the programmes of National Library of Nigeria, Ilorin. The first was the centenary celebration of the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914,which came up in April 2014.The second was the 50 years anniversary which came up on the 6th of November,2014 in Ilorin.

These are some of the activities of the UNESCO Club in the school, these can also be dubbed as its achievements, namely; the inauguration of UNESCO Club and election of officers in JULY, 2014, Health Talk on Sickel Anaemia by Survival Foundation. The Founder, Abiola Mohammed focused on genetic counseling and early detection screening to reduce morbidity in NOVEMBER 2015,Participation in Painting Competition among schools organized by the National Museum, Esie to mark the 70 years Anniversary of Museum and Monuments in Nigeria, also in November 2015.

Other activities include World HIV/AIDS DAY was marked on 1st of December 2015 in the school. Two Community Health Extension Workers [CHEW] were invited. Mrs. Beatrice Kemi Adewumi from the Health Center, Elesie's palace spoke on the spread of and prevention of HIV/AIDS while Mrs Temitope Esther Olanrewaju of Royal Hospital Gaa-Akanbi, Ilorin spoke on the effects of stigmatization.

Members of the UNESCO Club equally often engage in regular reading of books. This makes them to grow intellectually and compete favourably among their peers and become independent learners. Therefore, a reading school community was firstly developing. Students' self-esteem was motivated as their vocabulary skills improve. Teachers successfully identified reading problem as perennial students' challenges while interventions were offered. This therefore gradually exposes students to book discussion, improved listening ability, critical thinking and improved writing skills.

Sensitization on Lassa fever outbreak also came up on 28th of January, 2016 during which causes, spread, symptoms, preventions, treatments and cares were discussed. World Radio Day was equally marked on the 13th of February, 2016.Survivors'Foundation also visited the school to present some hygienic related products of UNILEVER to the school. The Founder, Taye Fatoki said the Foundation is partnering with UNILEVER on the enhancement of personal hygiene among school in Nigeria to encourage sickle cell anaemia victims that when there is life, there is hope. Schools in Esie and neighbouring communities benefitted immensely from the UNILEVER products donated by the Foundation.

Impacts of UNESCO Club on Community High School, Esie and its environs; it brings to the fore the hidden potentials of budding generation and future leaders.

It ignites and instills a burning desire for learning and knowledge with a focus on global leadership. Through the activities of the club, students of the Community High School, Esie and those of the neighbouring schools are better informed and equipped to cope with some contemporary challenges in their academic, health and social life Prospects and Challenges; The UNESCO Club of Esie is determined to initiate and execute mind stimulating programmes such as quiz, debate, essay and reading competition that would stimulate students towards effective learning and studying. These were meant to improve students' reading and writing skills, to sensitize and train students on information communication technology and entrepreurship skills.

These were the schools whose interests were stimulated by the UNESCO Club's activities; Nomadic School Igbodun, Esie, Idofian Grammar School, Idofian, Esie/Iludun Grammar School, Esie, Government Day Secondary School, Ijan Otun, Oro Grammar School, Oro, Notre-Dame Girls Secondary School, Oke-Maria etc.

Source: HeraldNews