A Corps member, Lucy Ikpesu, says she has impacted the lives of over 1,600 students through enlightenment programmes in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and breast cancer awareness among others.
Ikpesu, who made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday, said the programmes were her personal Community Development Service as a Corps member in the Federal Capital Territory.
She said students between the ages of 12 and 16 were beneficiaries of the programmes.
she said: “It has been my long term desire to impact and contribute to the development of my community through my knowledge and skills.
“I saw my service year as an opportunity to impact students, so I did it through my personal CDS and I carried out projects on STEM education, establishment of STEM clubs/groups in schools.
“Other projects include self esteem and mentorship for female students, breast cancer awareness, Lassa fever awareness, personal and menstrual hygiene, distribution of stationeries to students at the Internally Displaced People’s camp, among other services.”
According to Ikpesu, 550 persons benefited in STEM education, 245 on self esteem, 280 girls on breast cancer awareness, 150 students were given stationeries, 100 girls got sanitary pads, 275 students trained on menstrual and personal hygiene.
“Grooming students in STEM education integrates them into a cohesive learning programmes based on the real world activities,” she said.
Ikpesu said the STEM outreach programme was carried out in Model Secondary School Maitama, Government Science Secondary School Maitama, Government Secondary School Wuse Zone 3 and Government Secondary School Lugbe.
The breast cancer awareness programme, according to her, was done for women at the Bama, Gwoza and Durumi Internally Displaced Persons camps along with other corps members.
She said Project Pink Blue, Working to Advance STEM Education in African Women Foundation, Project Delta Initiative and Youngstars Development Initiative were some of the organisations that supported her projects.
She, however, sought for more support to enable her extend the programmes to other rural communities in the FCT and some states in the North.
Ikpesu studied Chemical Engineering at the Delta State University.