By Wevole Ezin
In commemoration with the World AIDS Day, Talents-Afrique Reservoir Foundation has organized her sixth 10.5km Quarter Marathon Race for secondary schools in Cross River state, Calabar.
Speaking at the weekend, shortly after presentation of trophies to the six winners by the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Eyoawan Otu, at the event of the 2023 commemoration of the World AIDS Day in Calabar, the Chairman/ Founder of Talents-Afrique Reservoir Foundation, Dr. Daniel Okwoche said bringing together young talents through the use of sport was his little way of advocating for zero HIV/AIDS safe society.
He said this year’s theme: “Communities; Leadership to End AIDS By 2030” aligned with the goals and objectives of the foundation to educate the younger generation on the dangers and how to prevent HIV/AIDS from spreading.
“The marathon race is for secondary school children and the race itself is an awareness creation for HIV/AIDS pandemic and it serves as a cutting race to commemorate the World AIDS Day which is usually 1st of December. The race also serves as an avenue to bring children closer, educate them on the dangers and how to prevent HIV/ AIDS.
“This programme is good for adolescents between the ages of eleven and nineteen. It is the most precarious stage in any individual development circle, at that age, they pass through pear pressure, they engage in different forms of immoralities. They can easily contract HIV/AIDS, some go into substances use and abuse. If a child know that he or she has a programme of this magnitudes, it will keep them away from all forms of vices.”
On what inspired him, he said, “As a young child growing up, I met such programmes, I was a beneficiary and it really shaped and changed my thinking about life but along the line, such programmes disappeared in the society and I wanted the coming generations to know that something like this can take place, that is why I want to form a bridge between the previous generation and the next generation.
“When I see talented children wasting away with poor mentorship, I try to bring them together to see how they can develop their individual talents in any aspect of life, so those are my propelling factors that keep me going for the past six years in organizing this Marathon Race.”
While identifying funding as one of the organisation’s challenges, Okwoche, appealed to the state government, private and public firms and sprited individuals to support the programme.
“My challenges are that of fund and sponsorship, good spirited public individuals are shirking in the society. In those days, people see such programme it and want to go extra miles to support and sponsor such programmes but these days, it’s very rare to see someone doing that. What they don’t know is that when you develop another talent, the talent will also develop other persons in the society and at the end of the day, the circle of development will spread from one singular act that you started.”
Winners of the Talents –Afrique 2023 Quarter Marathon Race, female category; first position, Godsmind Eteng, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria Secondary School, second position, Agnes Eyo of Government Girls Secondary School, Big Qua Town, Calabar, while third position goes to, Davina David of the same Government Girls Secondary School, Big Qua Town.
And the male category are, fist position, Fredrick Egar, Estate Secondary School, Ikot Ansa Calabar, Wisdom Edet, also from Estate Secondary School, took the second position and Franklin Oluzurike of Ideal High School, Calabar South, came third.
11 schools participated in the race, 13 were males while 12 were females.
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