Street Child Provides 20,000 Vulnerable Children With Educational Support in Borno
The Programme Executive Director of Street Child Nigeria, a non governmental organization, Mr. Marcello Viola has disclosed that over 20,000 vulnerable children affected by the boko Haram insurgency have been supported with educational support to transform the children through formal and basic learning and training in the state.
He added that the educational projects have a 3 year plan which had commenced in March 2018 while the earlier humanitarian project first executed by the organization was in 2016 in Abuja IDPs Camp of Gwoza LGA of Borno state.
Marcello who revealed this Thursday in an interview with journalists in Maiduguri during the launch of a new programme towards improving the recovery and resilience of the educational system in Borno state which will be implemented together with three local Nigerian NGO partners, GEPaDC, Herwa Community Development Initiative CDI and Intercommunity Development Social Organization IDS financed by European Union EU.
He added that the programme was expected to support at least 15,000 children including children with disabilities and psychosocial problems through non formal and basic education and 5,000 Almajiri children through integrated Quranic Tsangaya schools in 6 LGAs of Borno state, MMC, Jere, Gwoza, Hawul, Mobbar, and Dikwa.
Marcello noted that in order to respond effectively and efficiently to the educational needs in these areas of collaboration and coordination, contributions, advice and suggestions of stakeholders, partners and government agencies as participants were gathered as recommendations and inputs for positive and more effective output for improvement and implementation.
Mr. Benjamin Munson, the Programme Manager , Street Child said children projects have been carried out in partnership with other local and international partners on children education, community centers and teachers training among others in at least 6 LGAs in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states with 46 communities as beneficiaries and plans are underway to expand the projects to other areas and services .
According to him, Street Child was strongly committed to ensuring equitable, quality , conducive and all inclusive access to education for all children where since 2009, the organization has supported over 250,000 vulnerable and most marginalised children to access education and had worked with education systems in conflict and crisis affected States across Africa and Asia.
Professor Patricia Donli of University of Maiduguri as a participant and Executive Director, DEPaDC, one of the implementing partners said the project was timely and significant based on the prevailing circumstances on ground in the state and region with the falling standard of education and leas priority given to formal education.
She added that the street child project will support and provide quality and all inclusive education of the vulnerable children on the streets who are either separated from their parents or disabled or traumatized or children associated with armed group as well as the poor or helpless children , especially, the orphans who have lost their parents and relations losing hope in the society
The project will further address issues of gender and children violence in the society, promote education standard and learning manpower capacity and improve educational system, infrastructure, security, safety , justice, ensure brighter future, hope and provide conducive learning environment among others.
Alhaji Abubakar, Director , Mass Literacy Agency, Borno state as a participant and government representative appreciated the organizers and implementing partners while assuring full support and cooperation with the organization and their partners to transform children and education sector of the state generally.