By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
Fourteen girls from vulnerable and poor families who dropped out of school due to the vulnerability of their background have offered sponsorship by a Bauchi based Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Nurture and Empower Her Initiative.
The girls who dropped out in JSS and SS classes have been re-enrolled back to schools across Bauchi in the efforts of the NGO to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state.
Executive Director of the NGO, Florence Uzoanya made the disclosure while speaking on the drive by the NGO to promote Girlchild education as well as sensitise the students on menstrual and personal hygiene.
She said that, “We are encouraging students of Government Schools as well as the communities to use their local facility like using the schools within them. Instead of aiming high like that.”
According to her, “So far so good. We have enrollment of 14 girls who are vulnerable, these girls, we have selected, We worked hand in hand with the Community Leaders of each of the communities, we went to the houses of these children. We practically saw that they are unable and they cannot be able to pay the tuition fees.”
“It was also ascertained that they cannot buy uniforms or even sandals or bag for the children. So, we took it upon ourselves to buy uniforms, buy Sandals, buy books, uniforms and pay their tuitions. And then we look at even continuing paying their tuitions until they graduate. This is where we are and what we have done, so far,” She explained.
She then explained that the nature of the sponsorship is from the JSS class to the SS3 adding however that some primary school pupils too were enrolled by the Organisation.
According to her,”But when we looking at the primary school, we discovered that these girls are interested in school but their parents are not able to sponsor them. So that was why we had to include them. Yes. And which is also a good thing to encourage primary education while talking about girl child education but from the hygiene area is safe. Space is involving since field for girls.
She said that, “This is the fourth day thar we’ve been going around schools to talk to the female students, because We launched this programme which has as the theme: ‘Every girl child deserves a chance’. Yes, a chance to be educated, to be satisfied and also to be empowered.”
She added that, “So, we launched it in commemoration of the 2024 World International Day of the of girl child. And our reason for doing this is just to see how we can bring back girls, the vulnerable girls back to school.”
“So, this is our reasons and aside from that, also to educate them to start them on key topics. So this is what we have been doing. We’ve been going around schools, in the schools selected, we talk about success in education and menstrual hygiene. Aside from menstruating, we also talk about cancer awareness,” She added.
Florence Uzoanya added that,”And also, breast cancer awareness and then are trying to make them understand that their body is their body. And nobody has the right to touch their private parts. That is body anatomy. So, these are the things we have been doing from one school to another.”
According to her, “We have visited School. We are visited the Junior Secondary School, . Gudun Sayawa. And also we have visited Garba Noma School in Railway, Junior, secondary school. We were also at Government Girls College. And currently, we are at GDSS, Bayara to educate the girls.”
She stressed that,”And this time around, we are not only educating the girls, we are also including boys, why? Because We also want boys to know that menstruation is a normal thing, and it’s evidence of good health and aside that, we don’t want to exclude them in most of the things we are doing because by the time you exclude them, it’s still the same thing that’s not been informed generally. So this is how far have been able to go. We are promoting education of the Girlchild.”
Florence Uzoanya added that her organisation is involved in the issue of safe space for girls at schools stressing that,”Because, basically, that is what we are also promoting, every girl needs a safe space, we also used to tell them about it. We are doing that too. Yes. Safe space for girls, whereby girls can feel comfortable.”
“They can open up. We teach them how to be confident, not to be as shy, how to open up when they have issues, they can open up. Even if they don’t know who to call on, we are always there, our phone numbers are there. They can reach out to us, but we encourage them to reach out to people they trust. And then we are also encouraging teachers to create safe space because these are the reasons why many of them are not willing to be back to school through battling with Health issues or menstrual problems,” She stressed.
She opined that they cannot open up while some of them are being abused, and they cannot open up. So, this is basically what we are into also. And so far so good. We are still hoping that this girls that have been enrolled that we’re going to empower them, not that we are just rolling them back to school or showing that if they are being their retained or ensuring that they stay back in school, we’re still going to empower them in various skills.”
“Maybe what we are looking at is, we’re going to teach them different skills. Yes. Sources of ncome generating activities. We’re going to see how we bring them together. Not only them, but with other girls depending on the support we get in future like we hope to train them to build them up. As they are going to school, they are able to even provide for themselves at some stages even without their parents, if they cannot provide them, themselves can provide for them,”She added.
The ED added that,”So we’ll be training them on reusable sanitary pads. We are going to still train them even though we have some of the reusable pads that were going to distribute. We are still going to organise this one around while we basically want to enrol them first and see how we can encourage people that are already in school to remain in school because school is very important.”
“Yes, this is the only place you can come and get opportunities. Like skill trainings and other opportunities.
She added that, “We are grateful for a great resource that help girls/women track their period the Initiative with ‘My Period Diary'”
“We also appreciate our key supporters-Dr Elisha Bello, the Executive Director, Bincike International and Rev Father Robert Psinon, the Executive Director of : SELL Foundation as well as others who gave one form of support or the other,” She concluded.
The Operations Manager of the NGO, Oche Emmanuel said that, we are here in Bayara School to sensitise the students on body awareness, just to talk about how to create an initiative, where the girls are taught and will not be left outside in the society.”
He added that,”From the various schools we have visited so far, we’ve been able to like reach out to few girls who are in a vulnerable part of the areas. And we have been enrolling them from every school, we have enrolled, like five students each physically.”
According to him,”Yes, even as far as much, our dream is for them to even get into our institutions, we are encouraging it, and not just leaving them there, but to be people who become a plus to the society.
A Volunteer with the NGO, Samuel Christiana explained that the girls are to be taught how to track their menstrual circles as well as how to maintain personal health and hygiene including their mental health issues.
Tabitha Ali is the Health Mistress of the GDSS, Bayara and she commented the NGO for choosing the school for the programme which she opined came at the right time.
She promised that She will pick up from where the NGO will stop in order to ensure that the girls practiced everything they were taught stressing that the school will provide a safe space for the girls.
In his remarks, Secretary of Nazareth Community in Bayara, Danladi Z Sarki, commended the NGO for the initiative which has seen four girls from the community re-enrolled back to school saying that it is a thing of joy.
He assured that as a community leader, he will continue to champion the cause of the vulnerable people in the community particularly the Girlchild so that she can become a useful vessel to the community in the future.
Some of the students expressed their happiness for coming back to school assuring that they will do their best to become someone in the future in order to be useful to the society after reaching their full potentials.
