*********Vera Gold Foundation To Organize Essay Competition In Lagos July 3
*******Founder/CEO, Vera Gold Foundation Says, “Initiative Aimed At Fight Against Rape & Sexual Assault, Making Pupils Stay Safe”.
*******As Lagos State Government Approves, Commends Foundation On Planned “Essay Competition For Pupils, Schools In Surulere LGA”.
By Victor Bieni, Asaba
Mrs. Veronica C Osagiede, a philanthropist and founder/ CEO of Vera Gold Foundation, has said as part of efforts to encourage quality, children’s rights to education and end rape in Nigeria and the rest of the World, her foundation has scheduled a date for Essay Competition for pupils and schools in Surulere LGA, Lagos State, Nigeria to encourage them to stay safe and away from rape and sexual assault in order to voice against the menace and to also support survivors.
Mrs Veronica,a Uk, United Kingdom (London) based entertainment, Nollywood producer, Director made this disclosure today being on Wednesday, June 20, 2024 in a telephone conversation with our reporter, stated that her mission is to end the menace of rape in Nigeria and entire African continent and globally.
You could recall that the foundation had formally written to Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) on the planned Essay Competition for pupils and schools in Surulere LGA, Lagos State, Nigeria. The initiative was given a First-class approval as Lagos State Government commended Vera Gold Foundation for such laudable ideas poised towards ending the menace of child abuse, rape, sexual assault for over hundred pupils in some selected schools in Surulere LGA, Lagos State at no cost to the Board.
Government of Lagos State while appreciating the noble gesture had promised to give the Foundation all it takes to add Succeed on the planned Essay Competition through LASUBEB, selected Schools’ Management. Also, LGSG commended the Foundation for complementing her efforts in improving basic education in the State while hoping for a feedback mechanism on the program.
Mrs Veronica,a Nollywood actress and international business mogul, had hinted the media that the Essay Competition as planned, to be organized by her Foundation as proposed July 3, 2024, that the said event will take place by 10:00am prompt in the morning at Obele-Odam School Hall, Surulere LGA, Lagos State, Nigeria.
The Founder/CEO, Vera Gold Foundation and Vera Gold Production, Veronica Osagiede, has said that her organization is committed to consistent and strongStakeholders’ with Nigerian artistes, Nollywood and other critical stakeholders towards winning the war on fight against rape cases in Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world as she promises sustainability of the program and its future spread to other states in Nigeria, African continent and the rest of the world.
She then used medium to invites the general public and calls for support from philanthropic Individuals, groups, Governments or International donor agencies to extend same gesture to other states in Nigeria, African countries and the rest of the world. Investigation has shown that, “Vera Gold Foundation is one of the very few Foundation’s in Nigeria, African, and globally working towards ending the rising cases of different types of rape such as sexual assaults; sexual slavery, human trafficking, prostitution, spousal, prison, war, and date rape, while she enjoined the perpetrators to avoid the crime against humanity so as to prevent every elements of genocide, war crimes and victim’s traumatic stress disorder.
According to her, “rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without that person’s consent; carried out either by physical force or coercion, abuse of authority or against a person who is incapable of giving a valid consent, unconscious, incapacitated, intellectually disabled or is below of legal age of consent. Rape can be committed by males against females, females against males, males against males, females against females and others”.
Historically, Vera Gold Foundation got its first registration in the year 2000, now 21 years old, with full blown development works in partnership with a Christian Ministry. Later on got its full registration in United Kingdom in the year 2021. Vera Gold Foundation in the year 2020 carried out a rally against rape in London as part of the organization’s commitment to making the society a safe place to live in.
Speaking to our reporter, Mrs Veronica Osagiede, stated that in the year 2021, 2022, 2023 and now 2024 that her organization has carried out some sensitization Programmes, rally, empowerment programs in some states in Nigeria such Lagos State, Imo State, Delta State, Asaba, another rally held in London, Nigeria in some states like Ogun State, Abeokuta, Lagos State and Imo state respectively in a very good attempt to end, fight against the menace in the society.
She added that, as her Organization will continue to sustain the initiative, and sensitize Nigerians towards ending rape culture. Also, that the fight will soon be taken round the entire African countries to end menace as she is ready to partner with people, organizations, groups and Governments to end menace.
The philanthropist has said that, over the years, that she had been in the business of supporting SDGs such as ensuring zero hunger, poverty reduction amongst the rural populace, rural communities, widows, less-privilege persons, orphans had been her organization’s major thematic areas and her interventions as a development worker in various states of Nigerian Federation, while taken Lagos as a sample space as places she had touched with her philanthropic services.