It was a powerful moment in Bolari, Gombe State, as Shukurat Temitope Ibrahim, a corps member from Kwara State, brought her NYSC journey to a close with a grand finale that celebrated her dedication to education, empowerment, and service to humanity.
The event, held on May 20, 2025, at Kamara Primary School, marked the official closing of the Jewel Personal Community Development Project, a series of impactful activities focused on building future leaders through education.
To crown her service year, Shukurat donated 50 school sandals and 100 writing materials divided equally between Kamara Primary School and the Government Vocational Training Centre, Bolari East, ensuring that both primary and secondary students benefited from her gesture of love and commitment.
The event also witnessed the unveiling of Jewel Bulletin, the first-ever NYSC bulletin produced by a corps member in Gombe State. The bulletin chronicles the journey, challenges, and success stories of the project from start to finish.
Speaking at the ceremony, the NYSC Zonal Inspector, Mr Dashiu Wasinda, commended Shukurat’s bold initiative, describing it as “a true reflection of the NYSC spirit.” He praised her for using her voice and influence to facilitate the construction of eight new toilet blocks each for both schools, a development now being executed by the Gombe State Community and Social Development Agency. Initially planned as a toilet renovation project, her intervention triggered a full-scale construction effort, halting the original plan in favor of a more lasting solution.
In their heartfelt vote of thanks, the principal of the vocational centre and the headmaster of Kamara Primary School credited Shukurat’s advocacy as the catalyst for the much-needed infrastructure upgrade, describing her work as a “lasting legacy the schools will never forget.”
Also present was the representative of the Director General, Gombe Media Corporation, her place of primary assignment, who in his goodwill message, described Shukurat as “an active, respectful, and diligent corps member whose contribution to the organization and the community has been nothing short of exceptional.”
The Education Secretary of Gombe, Mr Abubakar baba abdullahi, was also in attendance. He expressed his admiration for the project, describing it as a shining example of how community development should be approached. He emphasized the importance of youth involvement in grassroots transformation and urged other corps members to emulate such initiative.
Behind this success stood a team of dedicated volunteers and supporters who made the journey smoother. Shukurat specially acknowledged her project teammates, including Jonathan Joel, Ishaq Abdullahi, Amina Muhammad Gambari, Muhammed Oluwayomi Haroon,Obiajunwa Chimdinma, Ogwuche Christiana, Yusuph Ridwan, Christianah Eneze and many others whose support helped bring the vision to life.
The Jewel Project had earlier featured a stakeholder engagement session, a debate competition, community talks, tuition sponsorship for students, and an educational campaign, each contributing to the overall goal of raising awareness and supporting the education of children in Bolari.
In her closing remarks, Shukurat expressed deep gratitude to God, her family, friends, teammates, mentors, NYSC officials, media partners, the commissioners for Information, Youth and Sports Development, Finance and Economic Development, Budget and Planning, the Gombe State Environmental and Sanitation Agency, and numerous donors whose names could not be mentioned due to time constraints.
“Gombe welcomed me as a stranger but raised me as one of its own. This land became home and this project, a purpose,” she said emotionally.
With footprints left in the sands of service, Shukurat Temitope Ibrahim exits her NYSC year not just as a corps member, but as a beacon of hope, and a symbol of what one person, backed by a passionate team, can achieve.
