Encomium
Recently, Nollywood actress and serial entrepreneur Princess Chineke called at her alma mater, the University of Benin (UNIBEN).It wasn’t just a casual visit as the top model gave out half a million naira in scholarship to 11 undergraduates, courtesy of her NGO, Voice Initiative (Voice of Impact for Charity and Empowerment).Some other public-spirited individuals also added six more students to make it sixteen.
In this exclusive interview, Princess Chineke, who is also ex-Miss UNIBEN, told ENCOMIUM Weekly why she is deeply involved in charity.
We learnt you gave undergraduates students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) N500,000 in scholarship?
Yes, I did.
What motivated this laudable gesture?
I feel the greatest gift you can give an individual is education, empowerment and keeping him informed. I was once a student of UNIBEN. So, I know how hard it is to pay school fees, keeping your head up. It wasn’t easy for me, too.
Under what auspices did you make the donation?
It was through my NGO called Voice Initiative (Voice of Impact for Charity and Empowerment).
Did you receive any grant for it?
No.
How many students benefitted?
11 students.
How did you select the beneficiaries?
Through campus fellowship
In what other areas is your NGO intervening to give society a helping hand?
We do lots of orphanage visitation and empowering youths through our entertainment company called Beacon. There are also community school contributions and other projects we would soon unfold.
Why are you so passionate about the less privileged?
I believe the best legacy one can leave behind is not the magnitude of wealth, number of cars, investments but the number of lives you impact, transform or make smile.
Would the scholarship be every academic session or there would be fresh students next year?
By the Infinite power of God, it will. Hopefully, I would have like-minded people and corporate bodies who would want to partner our organization. For instance, some individuals who came visiting felt touched by the gesture and decided to add five more students that same day. So, 16 students felt the Month of Love Gesture, like we tagged the empowerment project.
– UCHE OLEHI
