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BRIEF HISTORY OF ST.MARY THE VIRGIN CONVENT, UFUMA

 St. Mary The Virgin Convent, Ufuma was founded in 1992 by the Anglican community of the then Diocese Of Awka at its present site by His Grace, The Most Rev’d Maxwell S. Chukwunweike Anikwenwa JP Dean Emeritus Church of Nigeria,and Bishop Emeritus Awka Diocese, before the creation of the Aguata Diocese in 2005.

However, SMVC Ufuma has finally come and stayed on till date. The site formally had housed “Health Centre” meant to secure and bring up babies abandoned in evil forests by their mothers/families who were unfortunate to have twins. Christianity was still young and traditional practices still held very much sway. It also accommodated hostel (Amanwanyi) for training women who were preparing for marriage and successful housewifery.

When the Diocese of Aguata was created in 2005, it inherited the school, hence the proprietor since its inception include;

His Grace, The Most Rev’d Maxwell S. Chukwunweike Anikwenwa JP. Dean Emeritus Church of Nigeria, Bishop Emeritus Awka Diocese 1992-2005.

His Grace, The Most Rev’d Christian Ogochukwu Efobi JP Dean Emeritus Church of Nigeria, Bishop emeritus Aguata Diocese 2005-2018.

His Lordship, The Rt. Rev’d Chukwudi Samuel Ezeofor JP and Bishop Aguata Diocese 2018-till date

The founding father and then Bishop of Awka Diocese, with serious and sustained prayers, made this possible to the glory of God. He was guided by two strong considerations, namely (1) The progressive decay in the Nation’s secondary school system, especially with regards to girls’’school. (2) The fact that Ufuma was next in rank after Awka and Agulu, being the ecclesiastical headquarters then. This how ST. MARY THE VIRGIN CONVENT, UFUMA was born. After these infant beginnings the State Ministry of Education inspected the school’s environment, the interim structures and the sustainability of the available equipment and staff. Approval was thus given for learning to start on the site in September, 1992.

Since the inception of the school in 1992, it successive principals have in various ways and capacities contributed to its growth and development. The first of them was Sir Ernest Obidigwe (acted for six months), and others are:

1.     Lady Maudeline Adimora    1992-1999

2.     Mrs Edith Uzoamaka Amaechina 1999-2005

3.     Lady Onyegbuna Vicky    2005-2007

4.     Mrs Osinachi Chinyere  2007-2019

5.     Mrs Umeh Constance U.   2019-Till date

The pioneer school chaplain was Rev’d David Okpalaononuju (now Ven. Dr) with other successors like Rev Emeka Ekeyi,  Rev Benjamin Ogbumuo and Rev Gospel Udogu who has been the chaplain since 2018.

Being a complete boarding school, it was envisaged that all the students passing through it must have acquired a holistic or well-rounded education which will enable them grapple with life problems in general. Today this convent is not just concerned with purely academics, it is offering academic, technical, vocational, ICT-based, Agricultural, Artistic and moral education in tandem with the state/National ministries of education policy of giving Nigerians education for responsibility, self-employment and self-actualization, rather than that which gives them pen and paper qualifications that end op preparing them for office employment only. So all the subjects offered here form a broad spectrum that takes care of every individual’s potentials, thus making the sky their limit.

The school’s first batch of students (pioneers) graduated in 1998, giving the school, the Dioceses and all the stakeholders tremendous joy because their WASSCE results were very good and since then, there has never been a break in the yearly turn-out of finalists.  Our students can boldly defend their results in any external examination. The school adhere strictly to/compliance to zero tolerance for examination malpractice. The teachers in this convent are hardworking and committed.

THE SCHOOL ANTHEM: The current school anthem was introduced during the tenure of Mrs Edith Uzoamaka Amaechina as the principal of the school between 1999-2005.

INFRASTRUCTURES- The school has enough infrastructures any standard school can boost of. The involvement of the Diocese cannot be overlooked. The part of incumbent proprietor’s selfless and unrelenting efforts to give the school a face-lift from its pre-handover status. He began by completing the uncompleted one storey principal/staff quarters, provision of borehole in the school equipping of the school library and ICT programme to encourage E-learning. The women’s ministry under the leadership of Mrs Chinyere  H. Ezeofor (Nnechukwunyere) constructed three-in-one edifice; an ultra- modern kitchen, a dining hall and a multi-purpose hall.

SPORTS/TALENTS EXHIBITION –

In keeping with the state government’s emphasis on the above, we organise inter-house sports competition and talent exhibition interchangeably every year, wherein different houses, groups and clubs via for supremacy. We also participate in inter-convents/seminary competitions from which our school never comes back with any result below the first and second position. The 2020 Inter-house sports competition was Inter-changed with Talent exhibition cum cultural fiesta on which was very remarkable where our students from various school societies and clubs showcase their talents in so many areas; Agriculture, Garment Making, Music, Artistic, Home Management and Sciences.

OTHER EXTRA CURRICULUM ACTIVITIES

Students are exposed to other social activities like;

DEBATE: There is a lively debating club in the school. Apart from regular practices and internal debates students feature in external debating competitions.

QUIZ: Our students participate in the 2017 league of Anambra State Professional school quiz competitions, coming 3^rd at the L.G.A level. In the quiz competition between Diocesan schools in 2017, we took 2^nd position. In 2020 our school took 2^nd and 3^rd in the science and art respectively between the Diocesan level, and 3^rd position (art) in the provincial level. The school took 3^rd position in the provincial mathematics quiz competition sponsored by His grace, the Most Rev. Alexander Ibezim.

      In all these, we give thanks to God for his enabling grace.

                    TO GOD BE THE GLORY