Umuchieze is a town, part of Mbaise, in Imo State, which is located in the southeastern portion of the West African nation of Nigeria. In 2005, there were some four million people who lived in Imo State. There are four villages that constitute Umuchieze: Umudim, Umunjeke, Uhaula, and Umudionu. In 2003, they numbered about 5,000 people.
Education and illiteracy is a serious problem in Umuchieze. Many adults cannot read or write. While almost all children begin school, many children are not able to continue their schooling to the age of sixteen due to financial reasons. There are three schools in the town, St. Gregory's, founded in 1951, the Community School at Isiokpu, built in 1957, and the Pater Noster Secondary School, founded in 1962.
Local leaders believe that education is vitally important to the town's struggle with poverty. Local historian and political leader Enyeribe Ohuoha wrote in 2003 that "our people are very poor" and poverty is "evident in the type of houses they live in, the quality and quantity of food they eat, the clothes they wear, their low level of education, their poor health and short life expectancy."
Mickleton Monthly Meeting hopes to aid leaders in Umuchieze in combating the problem of poverty in the town through this scholarship program. The scholarship covers the schooling costs of an eleven-year old girl from Nigeria named Loveline. In addition, individual members of Mickleton sponsor three more children: Uche (8), Loretta (14), and Chikere (6). All of the children are promising students who have lost at least one parent and would otherwise have been unable to afford to go to school. Members of Mickleton have two contacts for the children. The first is Chima Korieh, a son of Umuchieze who now lives in Glassboro and teaches at Rowan University. The second is the current chief, or eze, of the town, local historian Enyeribe Onuoha. Arlene Storer, clerk of Mickleton's Peace and Outreach committee, is the contact for Loveline. Bill Carrigan and Emily Blanck sponsor Uche and Loretta. Julia and Paul Zinader sponsor Chikere.
For more information about Imo State:
Last modified: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 at 11:02 PM