Sons and daughters of Omi-Aro, a small community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have said that they are ready to explore all avenues open to them from the state government and international agencies to better the standard of living of the people in the community.

In 2010, the community, through its umbrella body, Omi-Aro Community Development Association approached Kwara State Community and Social Development Agency (KWCSDA) in a letter dated May 15, 2010 for three priority projects which they believed could facilitate the speedy growth the community desired.

The projects which include the renovation of the existing four blocks of four classrooms each with VIP toilets at the Secondary Commercial College, Omi-Aro; provision of three boreholes with overhead tanks and motorised pumps and establishment of a community health centre with modern equipment.

The KWCSDA, in a reply on October 7, 2010, indicated its interest to partner the community when it requested for a three-day Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) aimed at ascertaining the community level of preparedness in its culture of full democratisation required villagers to vote for the projects in order of their priority.

"As success was recorded in all phases it is also a prerequisite of the world bank agency to request a counterpart fund from the benefitting community and Omi-Aro scaled the hurdle when it fully paid its 10 per cent mandatory counterpart fund to the agency with the support of an illustrious son of the community, Alhaji Yissa Okanlawon who paid N510,000," he said.

According to the Secretary of Omi-Aro Community Development Association, Yunus Kareem, the cost of executing those projects varied as it took some time to finish the school project that eventually cost N5, 207,300 from its earlier estimate of N4, 132,300 due to prevailing market prices.

He said the school renovation had been completed, while the community would move to the water project.

"Though the agency is considering rehabilitation and conversion of one hand pump borehole to two motorised borehole with 5,000 liters capacity overhead tank," he said.

The community, in a letter dated January 18 to the agency and signed by its secretary reads in part:

"However, we want to let you know that the community members have resolved that a new borehole (motorised) is better be sunk instead of the conversion of the only functioning hand pumped borehole to motorised one. The third project will closely follow the water project," he said.