By Udeme Hosea

No fewer than 250 children in Mbiabam village, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, benefited from the Back-to-School Project of the Praying Women group.

The outreach, which held last Sunday, 6th September, 2026, across several churches including One Mind Church, Assemblies of God Church, Mount Zion Church and The Apostolic Church, saw the distribution of educational materials including school bags , exercise books and writing materials to pupils.

The founder of the group, Dr. Mercy Udeme Ette, said the project was driven by the conviction that a child’s education should not pause because nobody noticed the need.

“Through the Praying Women Back-to-School Project, we were privileged to support some children as they returned to school. Behind every item given was a simple message: you were seen, and your education matters,” she said.

Ette explained that Praying Women is a WhatsApp-based group of women who contribute annually to support the less privileged, including sharing food in villages every December and paying hospital bills for indigent patients.

She thanked members of the group who contributed to the exercise through financial support, prayers and volunteering their time for the project and called on other well-meaning individuals to join the initiative, noting that more children are yet to be reached.

Some beneficiaries and church leaders in the area commended the group for the intervention, described it as timely and impactful as pupils prepare to return to school for the new academic session.